Emanoel Araújo (15 November 1940, Santo Amaro, Bahia – 7 September 2022, São Paulo) was a Brazilian artist, art curator, and museologist. He specialized in numerous art styles, including, among others, sculpting, graphic design, and painting. He also served as the director of numerous museums in Brazil, including the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo and

Museu Afro Brasil Museu Afro Brasil is a history, artistic and ethnographic museum dedicated to the research, preservation, and exhibition of objects and works related to the cultural sphere of black people in Brazil. It is a public institution held by the Secreta ...

, the latter of which he established in 2004. He has recounted his work as "a collection that became one of the largest museums in Latin America".

Biography

Araújo was born into a family of goldsmiths in the city of Santo Amaro, in the state of Bahia. His first art exposition was in his home state of Bahia in 1959. Afterwards, he moved to

Salvador Salvador, meaning "salvation" (or "saviour") in Catalan, Spanish, and Portuguese may refer to: * Salvador (name) Arts, entertainment, and media Music *Salvador (band), a Christian band that plays both English and Spanish music ** ''Salvador'' ( ...

to study at the School of Fine Arts at the Federal University of Bahia. In 1972, he won the gold medal at the third International Biennale for Graphic Design in Florence, Italy. From 1981 to 1983, he directed the

Bahia Museum of Art The Bahia Museum of Art ( Portuguese: Museu de Arte da Bahia) is a museum located in Salvador de Bahia, Brazil. This museum is one of the oldest museums in the State of Bahia. History The museum was created to preserve the historical and ethno ...

and the

São Paulo Museum of Art The São Paulo Museum of Art ( pt, Museu de Arte de São Paulo, or ') is an art museum located on Paulista Avenue in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. It is well known for its headquarters, a 1968 concrete and glass structure designed by Lina Bo B ...

. In 1988, he lectured graphic design and sculpting at the Arts College of

City College of New York The City College of the City University of New York (also known as the City College of New York, or simply City College or CCNY) is a public university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York City. Founded in 1847, Cit ...

. From 1992 to 2002, he was director of the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, during which time the museum went under major renovations, including the installation of modern security and climate control systems. He also oversaw the creation of the Friends of the Pinacoteca Association, which oversees the gathering of resources for the museum. From 2004 to his death, he served as director of the Museu Afro Brasil, a museum dedicated to the culture and history of

Afro-Brazilians Afro-Brazilians ( pt, afro-brasileiros; ) are Brazilians who have predominantly African ancestry (see " preto"). Most members of another group of people, multiracial Brazilians or ''pardos'', may also have a range of degree of African ancestry. ...

. He often described the Museu Afro Brasil as his greatest accomplishment. In 2009, he was awarded the

Order of Ipiranga The Order of Ipiranga (Portuguese: Ordem do Ipiranga) is the highest state honor that is awarded by the state government of São Paulo. The award is bestowed onto Brazilian citizens or foreigners that show exemplary service to the people of São ...

by the state government of São Paulo, one of state's highest honors. The award was presented by then-governor José Serra. Araújo died on 7 September 2022 at 81 years of age, at his home in São Paulo.

References

External links

*Jill Langlois
"He Shined a Light on Other Artists. Now the Light Turns to Him"
'' The New York Times'', 25 August 2023. {{DEFAULTSORT:Araujo, Emanoel 1940 births 2022 deaths Art curators Artists from Salvador, Bahia Brazilian gay artists Brazilian LGBT sculptors City College of New York faculty Federal University of Bahia alumni Afro-Brazilian LGBT people Brazilian museologists Museum directors Officers of the Order of Ipiranga People from Santo Amaro, Bahia People from São Paulo