Emanoel Araújo (15 November 1940, Santo Amaro,

Bahia Bahia () is one of the 26 Federative units of Brazil, states of Brazil, located in the Northeast Region, Brazil, Northeast Region of the country. It is the fourth-largest Brazilian state by population (after São Paulo (state), São Paulo, Mina ...

– 7 September 2022,

São Paulo São Paulo (; ; Portuguese for 'Paul the Apostle, Saint Paul') is the capital of the São Paulo (state), state of São Paulo, as well as the List of cities in Brazil by population, most populous city in Brazil, the List of largest cities in the ...

) was a Brazilian artist, art curator, and

museologist Museology (also called museum studies or museum science) is the study of museums. It explores the history of museums and their role in society, as well as the activities they engage in, including curating, preservation, public programming, and ed ...

. 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 to study at the School of Fine Arts at the

Federal University of Bahia The Federal University of Bahia (, UFBA) is a public university located mainly in the city of Salvador. It is the largest university in the state of Bahia. Students can study there without paying tuition fees, as it is a public university. To j ...

. 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 and the

São Paulo Museum of Art The São Paulo Museum of Art (, or ') is an art museum in São Paulo, Brazil. It is well known for the architectural significance of its headquarters, a 1968 concrete and glass structure designed by Lina Bo Bardi. It is considered a landmark of ...

. 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, public research university within the City University of New York (CUNY) system in New York ...

. 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 (; ), also known as Black Brazilians (), are Brazilians of total or predominantly Sub-Saharan African ancestry. Most multiracial Brazilians also have a range of degree of African ancestry. Brazilians whose African features are mo ...

. He often described the Museu Afro Brasil as his greatest accomplishment. In 2009, he was awarded the Order of Ipiranga by the state government of São Paulo, one of state's highest honors. The award was presented by then-governor

José Serra José Serra Chirico (; born 19 March 1942) is a Brazilian politician who has served as a Congressman, Senator, Minister of Planning, Minister of Health, Mayor of São Paulo, Governor of São Paulo state, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Brazil) ...

. Emanoel Araújo's artworks are included in museum collections worldwide, including the piece ''Oxumaré'' (2022) in the collection of the

Pérez Art Museum Miami Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAMM)—officially known as the Jorge M. Pérez Art Museum of Miami-Dade County—is a contemporary art museum that relocated in 2013 to the Maurice A. Ferré Park in Downtown Miami, Florida. Founded in 1984 as the Cent ...

, Florida, which was featured in the show ''One Becomes Many'' next to Afro-Brazilian artists Rosana Paulino, Sonia Gomes, and

Paulo Nazareth Paulo Nazareth (b. 1977) is a Brazilian contemporary artist based in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Nazareth has achieved acclaim for his distinctive approach to contemporary art. His work, which includes multimedia and performance-based pieces, has bee ...

, among others. 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 ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...

'', 25 August 2023. {{DEFAULTSORT:Araujo, Emanoel 1940 births 2022 deaths Art curators Artists from Salvador, Bahia Brazilian gay artists Brazilian LGBTQ sculptors City College of New York faculty Federal University of Bahia alumni Afro-Brazilian LGBTQ people Brazilian museologists Museum directors Officers of the Order of Ipiranga People from Santo Amaro, Bahia People from São Paulo