Júlio Martins [Júlio Martins da Silva]
1893, Icaraí - RJ | 1978, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, Brazil
Júlio Martins da Silva (1893, Icaraí - RJ – 1978, Rio de Janeiro - RJ) emerges as a singular figure in Brazilian folk art, a visual storyteller whose works capture scenes of daily life and collective memory. Deeply rooted in Rio de Janeiro’s urban experience, his work is marked by an authenticity that transcends academic techniques, opening space for a spontaneous dialogue with Brazilian popular culture.
As documented in Pequeno Dicionário do Povo Brasileiro, Século XX by Lélia Coelho Frota and the 1978-1979 documentary “O que eu estou vendo vocês não podem ver” directed by Carlos Augusto Calil, Júlio Martins da Silva’s paintings reflect an aesthetic that synthesizes the simplicity and complexity of Rio de Janeiro’s social dynamics in the 20th century. His works can be seen as pictorial chronicles, imbued with a visual lyricism that evokes the life of streets, markets, popular festivals, and religious manifestations. More than mere representations, his paintings serve as testimonies of an era, capturing Brazil’s urban, cultural, and social transformations.
The absence of formal artistic training did not limit Júlio Martins da Silva’s work. On the contrary, it amplified an intuitive expressiveness directly connected to lived experiences and oral traditions. As Lélia Coelho Frota highlights, his work eloquently demonstrates the power of folk art as a vehicle for preserving and reinterpreting history and national identity.
With his unique perspective and rare ability to capture the spirit of his time, Júlio Martins da Silva remains a fundamental reference for understanding Brazilian folk art. His works, rich in meaning, transcend exhibition spaces, conveying stories that continue to resonate within contemporary Brazilian culture.
Solo Exhibitions
2023 Exposição JMS – Julio Martins da Silva, Galeria Evandro Carneiro Arte, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, Brazil
2012 A Gift-Wrapped World: Júlio Martins da Silva | Paintings, Galeria Estação, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
1984 Júlio Martins da Silva Paintings, Art Gallery of The Brazilian-American Cultural Institute, Washington, D.C., USA
1973 Solo Exhibition, Galeria Intercontinental, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, Brazil
1973 Solo Exhibition, MHN - Museu Histórico do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, Brazil
1969 Solo Exhibition, Galeria Escada, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, Brazil
Group Exhibitions
2026 Arte da Nossa Gente, MAB/FAAP - Museu de Arte Brasileira, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
2025 In Every Corner: Casa Fiat de Cultura and Instituto Tomie Ohtake Visit the Vilma Eid Collection, Casa Fiat de Cultura, Belo Horizonte - MG, Brazil
2025 Instituto Tomie Ohtake Visits the Vilma Eid Collection - In Every Corner, Instituto Tomie Ohtake, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
2024 Metamorphoses and Distances, Galeria Estação, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
2024 East of Eden, Galeria Estação & Galeria Milan, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
2024 Cotidiano, imaginação e paisagem: Galeria Estação, 20 anos, Instituto Çarê, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
2023 Reverses & Transverses: Artists Beyond Boundaries (and Friends) at the Biennials, Galeria Estação, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
2019 Nossos Naifs Brasileiros, Evandro Carneiro Arte, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, Brazil
2016 Entre Olhares d’alma brasileira, Museu Afro Brasil, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
2010 Arte Naif – Com açúcar e com afeto, Centro Cultural Professor Daud Jorge Simão, São José do Rio Preto - SP, Brazil
2010 Pavilhão das Culturas Brasileiras: Puras Misturas, Pavilhão das Culturas Brasileiras, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
2006 Viva Cultura Viva do Povo Brasileiro, Museu Afro Brasil, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
2002 Pop Brasil: a arte popular e o popular na arte, CCBB - Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
2000 Brasil + 500 Mostra do Redescobrimento. Arte Popular, Fundação Bienal de São Paulo, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
1988 O Mundo Fascinante dos Pintores Naïfs, Paço Imperial, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, Brazil
1980 Brazilian Folklore Festivals in Primitive Painting, Geraldo Edson de Andrade, Imprinta, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, Brazi
1982 Futebol: interpretações, Galeria de Arte Banerj, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, Brazil
1978 38th Venice Biennale, La Biennale di Venezia, Brazilian Pavilion, Venice, Italy
Public Collections
Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
MNBA - Museu Nacional de Belas Artes, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, Brazil
Museu Afro Brasil Emanoel Araujo, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
Selected Publications
2025 Em cada canto: Instituto Tomie Ohtake visita Coleção Vilma Eid, Instituto Tomie Ohtake, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
2024 Moderno Contemporâneo Popular Brasileiro | The Vilma Eid Gaze, Daniel Rangel, Germana Monte-Mór and Lorenzo Mammi, Editora WMF, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
2024 Metamorphoses and Distances, Galeria Estação, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
2024 East of Eden, Galeria Estação & Galeria Milan, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
2023 Reverses & Transverses: Artists Beyond Boundaries (and Friends) at the Biennials, Galeria Estação, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
2018 Arte popular brasileira: olhares contemporâneos, Editora WMF Martins Fontes, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
2012 A Gift-Wrapped World: Júlio Martins da Silva | Paintings, Paulo Pasta and Vilma Eid, Lis Gráfica, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
2007 Viva a Cultura Viva do Povo Brasileiro, Museu Afro Brasil, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
2002 Pop Brasil: a arte popular e o popular na arte, CCBB - Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
2000 Mostra do Redescobrimento - Brasil 500 anos | Arte Popular, Takano Editora, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
1988 A mão Afro-Brasileira: Significado da Contribuição Artística e Histórica, Fundação Emílio Odebrecht, São Paulo - SP, Brazil
1978 Mitopoética de 9 artistas brasileiros: vida, verdade e obra, Lélia Coelho Frota, Funarte, Rio de Janeiro - RJ, Brazil
1978 La Biennale di Venezia 1978: Dalla natura all’arte. Dall’arte alla natura, La Biennale di Venezia, Gruppo Editoriale Electa, Venice, Italy
1978 Aspects of Brazilian Primitive Painting, Geraldo Edson de Andrade, Spala Editora, Brazil
