Nilson Pimenta

1956, Caravelas | BA - Brazil

2017, Cuiabá | MS - Brazil

Nilson moved with his family to Mato Grosso when He was six and spent his childhood on the rural area. Aline Figueiredo writes about this time: “The fields of Barra do Garças, Brasilândia, Finca-Faca, Irenópolis and Jaciara watched him grow up, planting rice, beans, corn, peanuts and manioc in rough cleared land, only deforested and not worked mechanically.” That was when he made his first efforts at drawing on the ground, gatepost, wherever. He traveled around, working as a farmhand, sugarcane planter and cutter before going to live in the city of Cuiabá in 1978.

He began drawing with coloring pencils that same year and first used paints in 1980. His meeting with painting led him to work as a watchman and then as a supervisor of the Free Studio of the Federal University of Mato Grosso. The inclusion of the human figure into his unmistakable style of landscape in the 1980s ad 1990s did not consequently prevent color from forming a closed mesh, in which blues, greens and browns prevailed. His work is driven by dramatic verve, and his contemporary and agile eye on the themes he portrays can range from a wedding in the Pantanal wetlands to the serial motor-boy killer from the city of São Paulo. He took part in the Naïfs of Brazil Biennial (1988 and 2000) and the Brazil Rediscovery 500 Exhibition (2000). In 1996, he began experimenting with sculpture.

Source: Little Dictionary of the Brazilian People’s Art – 20th Century, by anthropologist and poet Lélia Coelho Frota

Individual Exhibitions:

2014 Painting on the trees and the beauty of Mato Grosso, Museu de Arte e Cultura Popular MACP, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

2014 The Fine Arts, Pavilhão das Artes, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

2013 The Art of Nilson Pimenta: imagination, science and malice, Museu de Arte e Cultura Popular MACP, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

2010 A Mixture, Museu de Artes e Cultura Popular MACP, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1996 12 Screens at the Former Governor's Residence, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1995 Solo at Infam, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1994 Big Cuiabano Festival, at the Global Garden Hotel, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1991 Solo at Itau galeria, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil

1990 Solo at Pádua Art Gallery, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1987 Solo at Mato Grosso Cultural Foundation, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1987 Solo at the Mato Grossense Museum of Contemporary Art, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1986 Solo at Mato Grosso Cultural Foundation, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1984 Solo at Casa Grande Galeria de Arte, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1984 Scenes from the countryside, wetland situations, at Casa Grande Galeria de Arte, Goiânia, GO, Brazil

1983 Scenes from the countryside at Áurea Palace Hotel, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1983 Small and large works at the Cultural Foundation of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1981 Solo at the Museum of Art and Folk Culture, UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

Collective Exhibitions:

2019 Trees, Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris, France

2017 I am Arte, A Casa Parque, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

2012 Stories of Seeing, Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris, France

2012 Stubbornness of the Imagination: ten Brazilian artists, Paço Imperial, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, brazil

2012 Stubbornness of the Imagination: ten Brazilian artists, Instituo Tomie Ohtake, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

2012 Exhibition Honored Artists in Memory, Cine Teatro Cuiabá, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

2009 Brazil Brazilian, Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil CCBB, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

2008-2009 Brazil Brazilian, Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil CCBB, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

2005 The Pleasure is Ours, Galeria Brasiliana, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

2002 6th Naifs do Brasil Biennial, at Sesc, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil

2002 Open Opera: celebration, at Casa das Rosas, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

2002 Pop Brazil: folk art and the folk in art, at the CCBB, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

2001 Shape and Color as Light in the Naïfs, at Galeria Itaú Cultural, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil

2001 Shape and Color as Light in the Naïfs, at Galeria Itaú Cutural, Penápolis, SP, Brazil

2001 Brazilian Culture 1, at Casa das Rosas, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

2000 5th Naifs of brazil Biennial, at Sesc - acquisition award, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil

2000 Brazil + 500 Rediscovery Exhibition. Popular Art, at the Bienal Foundation, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

2000 Brazilian Folk Art, at Galeria Brasiliana, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

2000 The Science Changes, collection of MASC, Museu de Arte de Santa Catarina, Santa Catarina, Florianopolis, Brazil

1998 4th Naïfs of Brazil Biennial, at Sesc, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil

1997 3rd Unama Small Format Salon, at the Unama Art Gallery, Belém, PA, Brazil

1997 Group Exhibition, at the Primitive Art Center of Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil

1997 5th Victor Meirelles National Salon, at the Masc / Fundação Catarinense de Cultura, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil

1996 3rd Naifs of brazil Biennial, at Sesc, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil

1996 Fine Arts Exhibition, at Sesc Pompéia, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

1995 3rd Victor Meirelles National Salon, at the Masc, Florianópolis, SC, Brazil

1995 Exhibition at Atelier Livre, at UFMT, Rondonópolis, MT, Brazil

1995 Divine in Vision, at Sesc / SP - itinerant exhibition, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

1994 Brazilian Art Biennial, at Sesc, Araçatuba, SP, Brazil

1994 Art Exhibition of Mato Grosso, at the Instruction Palace, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1994 2nd Brazilian Naive Art Biennial, at Sesc, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil

1993 13th Young Artist Salon Mato-grossense, at the Cultural Foundation, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1992 Group show, at the Primitive Art Center of Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil

1992 Invited Artists, at Banco do Brasil Gallery, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil

1992 49th Paranaense Salon, at MAC / PR - special reference, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

1991 Cuiabana Art Fair at the Cuiabano Education Institute, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1991 48th Paranaense Salon, at MAC / PR, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

1990 2nd Art of the Earth, Tennis Club, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1990 Art Week, at Eldorado Hotel, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1989 1st Matogrossense Salon of Fine Arts at the Cultural Foundation of Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1989 Moment of the Republic in Art Mato Grosso at UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1988 For an Indian identity, Asunción, Paraguay

1988 6th Salon of Fine Arts of Mato Grosso do Sul, at the Cultural Foundation - acquisition prize, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil

1988 Aqua Agustica, at UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1988 Black Sensibility, at the Museum of Art and Popular Culture, UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1988 For an Indian identity, La Paz, Bolivia

1988 Pantanal references in Painting in Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, at Solar Grandjean Montigny, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

1988 Pantanal references in painting in Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul, in Paço das Artes, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

1987 6th Fine Arts Exhibition of Mato Grosso do Sul. For an Amerindian Identity - awarded, Campo Grande, MS, Brazil

1987 40th Contemporary Art Salon of Pernambuco, at Galeria Metropolitana Aloísio Magalhães, Recife, PE, Brazil

1987 5th Contemporary Art Salon, at the Pinacoteca do Estado, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

1986 9th National Exhibition of Fine Arts at MAB, Brasília, DF, Brazil

1986 43rd Paranaense Salon at MAC / PR, Curitiba, PR, Brazil

1986 39th Pernambuco Fine Arts Salon, at the State Museum, Recife, PE, Brazil

1986 Art as a form of knowledge at Faap, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

1986 Group Show at the UFES Art and Research Gallery, Vitória, ES, Brazil

1985 Art in the Street, in the murals of Cuiabá - best mural award, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1985 10 Matogrossense Painters, La Paz, Bolivia

1985 7th Fine Arts Salon, at the Pinacoteca of Palácio de Cultura Dr. Pedro Furquim - honorable mention, Presidente Prudente, SP, Brazil

1985 8th National Exhibition of Fine Arts at MAM / RJ - awarded, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

1985 3rd São Paulo Contemporary Art Salon, at Biennial Foundation, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

1985 Waters’ Lights, in the lobby of Marechal Rondon Airport, Várzea Grande, MT, Brazil

1984 Group show at Casa da Cultura, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1984 7th National Salon of Fine Arts, Fortaleza, CE, Brazil

1984 Centro Oeste Salon of Fine Arts at Bosque dos Buritis - acquisition prize, Goiânia, GO, Brazil

1984 6th Salon of Fine Arts of Presidente Prudente, at the Palace of Culture - honorable mention, Presidente Prudente, SP, Brazil

1984 7th National Salon of Fine Arts at MAM / RJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

1983 2nd National Exhibition of Popular Painting, at Sesc, Bauru, SP, Brazil

1983 Atelier Open group show at the UFMT Library, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1983 6th National Salon of Fine Arts at MAM / RJ - awarded, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

1982 3rd Salon of Fine of Assis - acquisition award, Assis, SP, Brazil

1982 Assis City Hall - acquisition prize, Assis, SP, Brazil

1982 Pedregal's painter boys, at the UFMT Library, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1982 Naive and Primitive, at Sesc - intention award, Piracicaba, SP, Brazil

1982 5th National Salon of Fine Arts, at MAM / RJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

1982 Brazil seen by popular painters from Mato Grosso, at MASP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

1982 Work in Popular Painting, at the Museu da Casa Brasileira, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

1981 Brasil-Cuiabá: cabocla painting, at the Cultural Foundation of Brasília, Brasília, DF, Brazil

1981 5th Salão Jovem Arte Mato-Grossense - grand prize, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1981 Goiânia Regional Art Hall at the Bosque dos Buritis Culture Center - awarded, Goiânia, GO, Brazil

1981 Group show at Galeria Cesar Aché, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

1981 Brasil-Cuiabá: cabocla painting, at MAM / RJ, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

1981 Brasil-Cuiabá: cabocla painting, at MAM / SP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

1981 Group show at Galeria Brasiliana, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

1980 Artists from Mato Grosso Today, at the Museum of Art and Folk Culture at UFMT, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil

1980 Primitives of Mato Grosso, MASP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

Public Collections:

Fondation Cartier pour l`art contemporain, Paris, France

Selected Publications:

2019 Trees, Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris, France

2012 Histoires de Voir - Show and Tell, Fondation Cartier pour l’Art Contemporain, Editoriale Bortolazzi-Stei

2012 Teimosia da imaginação: Dez artistas brasileiros, Maria Lucia Montes, Martins Fontes, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

2005 Little Dictionary of the Brazilian People’s Art – 20th Century, by anthropologist and poet Lélia Coelho Frota, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil

2002 Pop Brazil: folk art and the folk in art, at the CCBB, São Paulo, SP, Brazil