Galeria Estação located in São Paulo is led by Vilma Eid, a gallerist who has played a crucial role in promoting and valuing folk art produced in Brazil for the past 40 years. Since its founding, the gallery has been dedicated to showcasing the diversity of folk art, significantly shaping the understanding of many generations of collectors, artists, and the public regarding the richness, complexity, and sophistication of this art form and its centrality to the understanding of Brazilian art.
Vilma Eid and Galeria Estação have always approached folk art not as a quest for essences or projections of authenticity or naïveté, nor as a separate niche from mainstream production, but as a diverse and non-homogeneous set of ingenious artistic solutions emerging from the experiences and creativity of people who often lack access to elitist means of education. Through careful exhibitions, publications, and public programs—always documented on the gallery’s website—Galeria Estação fosters a continuous dialogue between folk art and society, promoting inclusion and valuing an art form that is often marginalized. The gallery's impact extends beyond displaying artworks; it represents an ongoing effort to ensure that folk art receives the recognition and respect it deserves, solidifying it as a vital element of art in Brazil.
The gallery has been a space for visibility and recognition, revisiting and re-evaluating the works of masters such as those featured in this exhibition: Agnaldo Manoel dos Santos, Alcides Pereira dos Santos, Antônio Poteiro, Artur Pereira, Aurelino dos Santos, Chico da Silva, Chico Tabibuia, Véio, Conceição Freitas da Silva, Elza de Oliveira Souza, G.T.O., Itamar Julião, Jadir João Egídio, Lorenzato, José Antonio da Silva, Cardosinho, José Bezerra, Júlio Martins da Silva, Madalena Santos Reinbolt, Maria Auxiliadora Silva, Mirian Inêz da Silva Cerqueira, Neves Torres, Nhô Caboclo, Nino, and Ranchinho—twenty-five of the fifty-one artists represented by Galeria Estação.
With this exhibition, the gallery celebrates its unique creations and recalls, within the context of Rotas Brasileiras, the role of the art market in building a plural, inclusive, and diverse artistic field.
As Vilma Eid states, “Folk art is a living testament to the culture of a people, and it is our duty not only to preserve it but also to give it the stage it deserves.” This vision reflects the gallery's commitment to providing a platform for the appreciation and respect of folk art, a commitment also upheld by Roberto Eid Philipp, who will undoubtedly continue and expand this mission for the next 40 years and beyond.
