Gustavo Rezende is an artist whose decades-long trajectory is marked by a formal and conceptual investigation that explores historical and contemporary themes in art with irony and criticism. Born in 1960 in Passa Vinte (MG), he lives and works in São Paulo (SP).
Rezende is a researcher of the contemporary implications of the three-dimensional, exploring the idea of the double and cyclical time in his works. Initially, his sculptures—visually intriguing and intellectually stimulating—challenged the observer's perception through enigmatic titles that added layers of meaning and ambiguity.
The titles of Gustavo Rezende’s works provide clues to understanding the complexity and enigmas present in his work. They not only name the pieces but also launch observers into an "intellectual game," proposing riddles that provoke reflection. Both the works and their titles are characterized by a dual and hermetic nature, creating an enigmatic experience for the viewer, who is tempted to decipher hidden codes and make associations with various fields of knowledge, such as literature, philosophy, and religion.
Initially focused on abstract forms, his sculptures evolved into figurative representations, often named with personal or poetic references. Currently, Rezende sculpts human figures using his own body as a model.
Although he incorporates his own image into some works, he does not refer to them as self-portraits but rather as "portraits" or "heroes." This reinforces the idea that his works are not self-representations but expressions of concepts, experiences, and human relationships.
Gustavo Rezende’s work engages with art history, critiquing and questioning myths and stereotypes, especially those related to Brazilian and Latin American constructive art. In addition to sculptures, Rezende explores drawings, prints, photography, and video, expanding his creative vocabulary.
Graduated in Architecture from the Faculty of Fine Arts in São Paulo in 1984, Rezende had his solo debut at the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo. Over the years, his work has been exhibited in Brazil and internationally, with significant participations such as the Havana Biennial in 1991 and the Panorama of Contemporary Brazilian Art at MAM-SP.
He received the British Council Fellowship Award in 1993, followed by a master's degree in Visual Arts at Goldsmiths College in London, supported by a British Council scholarship in São Paulo. The sculptures he created during this period are now part of the Pinacoteca do Estado collection. In 2000, he was awarded the prestigious Vitae Arts Grant.
His academic background also includes a PhD in Visual Poetics at the School of Communications and Arts at USP, completed in 2004. Additionally, he served as a Tenured Professor at the Visual Arts faculty of FAAP from 1995 to 2023.
Rezende's works are part of the collections of renowned institutions such as the Museum of Contemporary Art of the University of São Paulo (MAC-USP), the Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo (MAM-SP), and the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, as well as international collections like the Novo Museu dos Açores in Portugal.
Among his most important exhibitions are his solo show at the Estação Pinacoteca in 2013, curated by Ivo Mesquita, and a site-specific installation at Casa do Bandeirante in 2019, carried out with the support of the ProAC Visual Arts Grant.