Chico da Silva

CHICO DA SILVA (Brazil, ca. 1910–1985).
Untitled, 1971.
Gouache on canvas.
Signed and dated in the lower left corner.
Measurements: 68 x 50 cm; 52 x 71 cm (frame).
The work presented here is a magnificent example of Chico da Silva’s visual imagination, bringing together some of the most characteristic elements of his oeuvre: a fantastical creature inspired by Amazonian fauna, a vibrant chromatic richness, and a complex decorative pattern constructed through repetitive motifs and delicate linear interlacing.
The significance of this work is particularly notable in light of the recent exhibition *Chico da Silva: And the Soul is for the Birds*, held in Nottingham from June through September. The exhibition provided a comprehensive overview of his career and helped reinforce the international recognition of his artistic legacy, highlighting the extraordinary originality of a body of work that continues to capture the interest of institutions, collectors, and art historians. The exhibition project highlighted precisely those aspects that make Chico da Silva a unique figure: the fusion of nature, imagination, and spirituality, as well as his ability to transform local references into a visual language of universal scope.
The composition depicts a fantastical creature whose anatomy unfolds through an exuberant combination of colors and decorative motifs. The dark background intensifies the chromatic contrast and accentuates the monumental presence of the main figure and the stylized vegetation surrounding it. As in many of his most iconic works, the scene unfolds in an ambiguous space where the boundaries between the observation of nature and fantastical invention blur, creating an atmosphere charged with mystery and vitality.
Chico da Silva’s iconography draws on the oral traditions and natural environment of northern Brazil. Birds, fish, reptiles, and imaginary creatures take center stage in compositions that visually interpret folk tales, regional mythologies, and the artist’s personal visions. The dragons and hybrid beings that frequently appear in his work do not derive from academic models, but rather from a deeply original imagination that finds an inexhaustible source of inspiration in nature. The chromatic intensity, the precision of the drawing, and the extraordinary ornamental richness of his surfaces are among the most distinctive features of his style.
Discovered in the 1940s by the Swiss critic and artist Jean-Pierre Chabloz, who recognized the unique value of the drawings he created on the walls of Fortaleza, Chico da Silva developed an exceptional artistic career that achieved widespread international recognition. Among the major exhibitions in which he participated were “Francisco da Silva” at the Galerie Pour L’Art in Lausanne (1950), “Exhibition of Primitive and Modern Art” at the Musée d’Ethnographie in Neuchâtel (1956), “8 Brazilian Naïve Painters” at the Galerie Jacques Massol in Paris (1965), the 9th São Paulo Biennial (1967), and “Tradition and Rupture: Synthesis of Brazilian Art and Culture” at the Fundação Bienal de São Paulo (1984). He also received an Honorable Mention at the 33rd Venice Biennale in 1966, cementing his position as one of the most significant figures in 20th-century Brazilian art. The recent exhibition in Nottingham confirms the enduring relevance of her legacy and the growing critical appreciation of a body of work that continues to fascinate with the originality of its imagery and the power of its visual universe.