Tarsila do Amaral

Brazilian modernist painter who redefined Latin American cultural identity through avant-garde art

Tarsila do Amaral (1886-1973) ignited Brazil's Anthropophagic Movement with her iconic painting Abaporu (1928). Merging Cubist techniques with tropical imagery, she created a visual manifesto against European cultural dominance. Her antropofagia philosophy advocated 'devouring' foreign influences to create uniquely Brazilian art.

Works like A Cuca (1924) and Operários (1933) addressed industrialization's impact through surreal Amazonian symbolism. Imprisoned during Brazil's 1932 revolution for her leftist views, Tarsila continued painting social critiques. The 2017-2018 MoMA retrospective 'Tarsila: Inventing Modern Art in Brazil' cemented her global legacy as Latin America's answer to Frida Kahlo.