Marcela Cantuária

Marcela Cantuária (born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1991) is a Brazilian visual artist working primarily with paintings. Cantuária's work revolves around contemporary historical paintings produced in small and large formats. Recurring themes in her work are social movements, political history, feminisms, and environmental causes in Latin America.

Cantuária is a member of the Brazilian social organization Brigadas Populares.

The artist combines internet-based imagery, archival research, photographs, reproductions, and depictions of imaginative historical moments that honor everyday people and comment on the ongoing global struggle for women's rights.

In 2022, she created the public murals Caju e Manatí in collaboration with local communities in Cajueiro da Praia, in Piauí. The goal was to increase environmental awareness in the region. 2023 - Bestiário, Palácio do Grilo, Lisbon, Portugal 2022 - Marcela Cantuária: Propostas de Reencantamento, 2022. Sesc Pompeia, São Paulo 2022 - La invocación del pasado a la velocidad del ahora. CentroCentro, Madrid, Spain 2020 - Figurar o Impossível, 2020. Palácio das Artes, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 2019 - La larga noche de los 500 años. A Gentil Carioca, Rio de Janeiro 2019 - Sutur|ar Libert|ar. Centro Municipal de Arte Hélio Oiticica, Rio de Janeiro 2018 - Castelos no Ar. Alfinete Galeria, Brasília 2017 - Lampejos. Galeria Macunaíma, School of Fine Arts at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro 2013 - Impulsos. Espaço Vórtice, School of Fine Arts at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro

Group exhibitions 2022 - Histórias brasileiras. São Paulo Museum of Art, São Paulo 2022 - Contramemória. Theatro Municipal de São Paulo 2022 - 8th Biennial of Painting: The 't' is Silent. Museum Dhondt-Dhaenens, Belgium 2022 - Atos de Revolta: outros imaginários sobre independência. Museum of Modern Art, Rio de Janeiro 2022 - Essa minha letra: Lima Barreto e os Modernismos Negros. Museu da História e da Cultura Afro-Brasileira (MUHCAB), Rio de Janeiro 2022 - Espelho Labirinto. Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, Brasília 2021 - Imagens que não se conformam. Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR) 2021 - Crônicas Cariocas. Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR) 2019 - Histórias Feministas: artistas depois de 2000. São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP) 2019 - Estratégias do Feminino. Farol Santander, Porto Alegre

Awards and residencies 2022 - FountainHead. Miami, United States (residence) 2021 - Projeto Peixe-boi: Murais Caju e Manatí. Cajueiro da Praia, Piauí (residence and public art project) 2020 - 3o Prêmio de Artes Visuais Décio Noviello de Artes Visuais, Fundação Clóvis Salgado. Minas Gerais 2019 - Kaaysá. São Paulo (residence) 2019 - PAOS GDL. Guadalajara, Mexico (residence) 2018 - Solar dos Abacaxis. Rio de Janeiro (residence)

Collections Cantuária's work has been included in international collections in her native Brazil and the United States. Pérez Art Museum Miami, Florida Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, São Paulo São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP), São Paulo Museu de Maré, Rio de Janeiro