Amadeo Luciano Lorenzato (1900–1995) was a Brazilian modernist painter whose works vividly portray everyday life in Belo Horizonte—Brazil's first planned city—and its surroundings. Lorenzato's paintings capture an essence of Brazilian culture and landscapes, reflecting a deep connection to his environment.
Read MoreBorn in Belo Horizonte to Italian immigrant parents, Lorenzato began his artistic journey as a painter's assistant in his youth. In the 1920s, his family returned to Italy, where he worked on reconstructing war-torn cities like Arsiero. He briefly studied at the Reale Accademia delle Arti in Vicenza in 1925 and later traveled across Europe, absorbing influences from Renaissance masters and modern artists such as Matisse and Picasso. In 1948, he returned to Brazil, settling in Belo Horizonte, where he worked in construction until a leg injury in 1956 led him to focus on painting full-time.
Amadeo Luciano Lorenzato's paintings are distinguished by textured surfaces, created with unconventional tools like combs and forks, giving them a tactile, almost ceramic-like finish. The earthenware comparison is heightened by Lorenzato's go-to palette of self-made pigments, rich in ochres and clay-reds.
The textured paintings depict the architecture, landscapes, and daily life of Belo Horizonte with a rhythmic simplicity and a distinct fusion of figuration and abstraction. Perspective is flattened, and geometric forms lend his work a symbolic and meditative quality, evoking personal memory and collective experience. The pared-back approach to his compositions reveals a sophisticated visual language rooted in observation, labour, and an intuitive understanding of colour, form, and subject.
Lorenzato's work has been featured in numerous exhibitions, both during his lifetime and posthumously:
Notable group exhibitions include
Amadeo Luciano Lorenzato's practice has been the subject of renewed attention, such as his inclusion in significant exhibitions, such as the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024, and exhibitions with major international art dealer David Zwirner. While exhibited and appreciated by contemporaries during his lifetime, this renewed attention has led to growing posthumous recognition of his contribution to Brazilian modernism and international art histories.
Amadeo Luciano Lorenzato was a Brazilian modernist painter known for his textured depictions of everyday life in Belo Horizonte. He utilised self-made pigments and unconventional tools to create his distinctive works.
Among his notable works are various 'Sem título' (Untitled) paintings, including a 1989 piece inspired by an aerial view during a flight, showcasing his unique blend of abstraction and figuration.
His art was influenced by his early experiences as a painter's assistant, his exposure to European art during his travels, and his deep connection to the landscapes and daily life of Belo Horizonte.
His work has been exhibited internationally, including at David Zwirner galleries in London and Hong Kong, Gomide&Co in São Paulo, and the 60th Venice Biennale in 2024.
Lorenzato's art explores themes of everyday life, urban and rural landscapes, and the interplay between abstraction and figuration, all rendered with a unique textural approach.
Hazel Ellis | Ocula | 2025
