Cássio Vasconcellos

Cássio Campos Vasconcellos (born 1965) is a Brazilian photographer whose work spans documentary, aerial, and composite imagery. Active since 1981, he has exhibited in the show Trees at the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, Paris; Saatchi Gallery, London; and Princeton University Art Museum.

His publications include Aeroporto (2016), Aéreas do Brasil (2014), and Noturnos São Paulo (2002). Vasconcellos has received the Conrado Wessel Art Prize (2011) and the Porto Seguro Prize of Photography (2001), and his works are held in the collections of the Museu de Arte de São Paulo, Bibliothèque Nationale de France, and Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.

Life and work Vasconcellos was born in São Paulo in 1965 and began his career in photography in 1981. His early work encompassed street scenes and nocturnal imagery, culminating in the publication of Noturnos São Paulo (2002). Over time, his practice shifted toward large format aerial compositions, often created from photographs taken during helicopter flights.

Trained and experienced as a photojournalist, he later developed a body of work distinguished by fictional imagery constructed from elements of reality.

Vasconcellos has published several monographs, including Viagem pitoresca pelo Brasil (2015), Fotô Editorial (2024), Brasil visto do céu (Editora Brasileira, 2017), Panorâmicas (DBA, 2012), and Noturnos São Paulo (2002).

Vasconcellos has been the subject of several documentary films, including Caçadores de Almas (1988, 2012), foto.doc: cassiovasconcellos (2005), and O Mundo da Fotografia – Fotografia e Arte (2001).

Artistic practice Vasconcellos's work often combines documentary and constructed photography. He creates scenes by stitching together hundreds or thousands of individual images taken from the air, aligning lighting and perspective to produce a coherent whole. The series depicts “jam-packed situations typical of our civilization,” including crowded beaches, motorcycle gatherings, truck markets, and airplane boneyards.

Publications Noturnos São Paulo (Nocturnes São Paulo). Bookmark, São Paulo, Brazil, 2002. . Aéreas (Aerials). Terra Virgem, São Paulo, Brazil, 2010. . Panorâmicas (Panoramics). DBA, São Paulo, Brazil, 2012. . Coletivos (Collectives). Quarantena, 2020.

Exhibitions

Since the 1980s, Vasconcellos has participated in solo and group shows at the Museu de Arte de São Paulo (MASP), Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro, Maison Européenne de la Photographie (Paris), Museum of Fine Arts (Houston), and Princeton University Art Museum. His work has been included in major photography biennials and thematic exhibitions across Latin America, Europe, and the United States. In 2023 Vasconcellos presents the work 'Over' at La Gacilly Photo Festival, in France. Awards 1995: National Photography Award, National Foundation of the Arts (FUNARTE), Brazil 1999: J.P. Morgan Photography Award, São Paulo, Brazil 2001: Porto Seguro Photography Award, São Paulo, Brazil 2002: Best Photography Exhibition of the Year, Associação Paulista de Críticos de Arte (São Paulo Art Critics Association), São Paulo, Brazil 2018: Juror's pick, LensCulture Art Photography Awards