Leda Catunda

Leda Catunda Serra, known as Leda Catunda (born 23 June, 1961) is a Brazilian painter, sculptor, graphic artist and educator. She is a representative name of the artists' group. Her works explore the limits of textures and materials, being characterized by her "soft paintings" over towels, bedclothes, leather, velvet and silk.

Biography

Leda Catunda was born in 1961 in São Paulo. Her mother, Vera Catunda Serra, was an architect and landscaper and her father, Geraldo Serra Gomes, was and architect and a professor at the college of architecture and urbanism in Sao Paulo. Catunda attended Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado (FAAP) for college and was originally planning to pursue a career as a rock musician. However, with the support of faculty at FAAP who were important figures in the Brazilian art world, she began to create visual artworks. In 1984 Catunda began to find success in the art world with an exhibition called Como Vai Você, Geração 80? (How Are You Doing, 1980s Generation?) in Rio de Janeiro. For example, one of her early works called Vedação em quadrinhos is a printed fabric that Catunda "edited" using white paint to hide some of the features of the image. This exhibition was shown in Instituto Tomie Ohtake in Sao Paulo Brazil. In an interview, Leda explains that the exhibition "revolves on the subject matter of emotional consumerism related specifically to affection in those who search for things and images that in turn defines their own identity." She has created work using a variety of techniques including watercolor, collage, engraving, relief, painting, sewing, etc. Catunda does not like to use machines to create her work, rather insists on manual creation which allows for an "intimate dimension" and a more personal atmosphere.