Beatriz Milhazes

Written By Anna Rein

  • → "Mistura Sagrada" (2022) – Published by Pace, this book showcases her 2022 New York solo exhibition, featuring vibrant paintings and sculptures, with essays by Mark Godfrey and a conversation with artist Polly Apfelbaum 

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    → TASCHEN Monograph (2020) – This updated edition covers 300+ works from Milhazes’s career, detailing her unique techniques and Brazilian cultural influences, with contributions by Hans Werner Holzwarth and Adriano Pedrosa

  • → Mistura Sagrada – 2022, Pace Gallery, New York​ PACE GALLERY

    → Avenida Paulista – 2020-2021, MASP & Itaú Cultural, São Paulo, Brazil​ MASP

    → Ballet em Diagonais – 2021, Long Museum, Shanghai​ PACE GALLERY

    → Maresias – 2023, Turner Contemporary, Margate, and 2024, Tate St Ives, UK​ WHITE CUBE Venice Biennale – 2024, 60th International Art Exhibition, Venice

  • → https://beatrizmilhazes.com

Beatriz Milhazes is a celebrated Brazilian artist born in 1960 in Rio de Janeiro, known for her vibrant, layered abstract paintings and collages that blend Brazilian culture, modernist traditions, and influences from Western art history. Her work is recognized for its dynamic compositions that draw upon motifs inspired by Brazilian carnival, Baroque colonial architecture, folk traditions, and the lush flora of her home country. Over her career, she has become one of Brazil's most prominent contemporary artists, achieving international acclaim for her unique artistic style that balances color, geometry, and organic forms. Milhazes initially studied social communication at the Hélio Alonso University in Rio de Janeiro but later pursued a career in art, studying at the Escola de Artes Visuais do Parque Lage (EAV) in the early 1980s. The Parque Lage became a significant place for her development, as it was a hub for many Brazilian artists at that time. Her early work was influenced by Brazilian modernist artists such as Tarsila do Amaral and Athos Bulcão, as well as European artists like Henri Matisse and Sonia Delaunay, whose emphasis on color, pattern, and abstraction resonated deeply with her. Milhazes developed a distinctive technique she calls monotransfer, which involves painting motifs on plastic sheets and then transferring them onto canvas. This method allows her to create layered compositions with complex textures and patterns. Her works feature a striking visual tension between structured geometry and free-form shapes, with motifs that often include flowers, arabesques, lace-like patterns, and decorative elements. This unique approach gives her paintings a tapestry-like quality and a depth that captures viewers' attention. Her art has been exhibited widely across the globe, including major exhibitions at institutions such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain in Paris, and the Pérez Art Museum in Miami. She has represented Brazil at prestigious international events, including the Venice Biennale in 2003. Her works are held in numerous major collections worldwide, cementing her status as a key figure in the international art scene. Beyond painting, Milhazes has explored other media, including printmaking, collage, and even large-scale installations. Her vibrant, color-rich works are a celebration of Brazilian culture and modernist aesthetics, bridging cultural boundaries and highlighting the rhythmic and decorative aspects of abstract art.

Anna Rein
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