LUANA VITRA

Luana Vitra (Contagem, MG, Brazil, 1995) was born and raised in the state of Minas Gerais, in a region known for its monumental natural landscapes which is also profoundly marked by industrial mining activities. Therefore, she has always experienced the different possible manifestations of iron and soot. Gested between carpentry — on her father’s side — and handling words — on her mother’s side —, her practice stems from processes that recognize the physical qualities and subtle contours of matter, and investigate the psycho-emotional infusion of landscapes. From compositions made with a wide range of materials, her objects and installations reconfigure universal symbols and elaborate others, especially invested in the qualities of matter, evoking poetry, discussing subjectivities and raising political questions.

EDUCATION

- Bachelor in Fine Arts with a degree in sculpture at Guignard School of Arts- UEMG (State University of Minas Gerais). 2018
- Graduated in dance at Escola Livre de Artes (ELA). 2014 -2017

INDIVIDUAL EXHIBITIONS

2023
- Giro. Curated by Déri Andrade. Inhotim. Brumadinho | Brazil
- Viver e morrer pela boca. Curated by Germano Dushá.Bruno Múrias Gallery. Lisbon | Portugal. 

2020
- Três guerras no peito. Curated by Hélio Menezes. Centro Cultural São Paulo. São Paulo | Brazil

2019
- Corpo rasgado em estado de céu aberto. Curated by Rachel Costa. Mitre Gallery. Belo Horizonte | Brazil. 
- Carregar o poema nas costas. Curated by Esther Azevedo. Centro Cultural Sesiminas. Belo Horizonte | Brazil.

COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS

- Eaux Souterraines. Frac Poitou-Charentes. Angoulême | France. 2025
- Nossa vida Bantu. Museum of Art of Rio - MAR. Rio de Janeiro | Brazil. 2025
- To carry. Sharjah Biennial 16. Sharjah | United Arab Emirates. 2025
- Onde há fumaça: arte e emergência climática. Ipiranga Museum. São Paulo | Brazil. 2025
- Delay and encounter and/or other proximate unknowns. Foundation for contemporary art. Accra | Ghana. 2023
- Coreografias do Impossível. 35th São Paulo Biennial. São Paulo | Brazil. 2023
- Direito à forma. Inhotim. Brumadinho | Brazil. 2023
- Dos Brasis. Sesc Belenzinho. São Paulo | Brazil. 2023
- Vida transbordante e os desejos do mundo. Solar dos Abacaxis. Rio de Janeiro | Brazil. 2023
- Pipa Prize 2023. Paço Imperial. Rio de Janeiro | Brazil. 2023
- Linhas Tortas. Mendes Wood DM. São Paulo | Brazil. 2023
- Um século de agora. Itaú Cultural. São Paulo | Brazil. 2022
- Atos de Revolta: outros imaginários sobre independência. Museum of Modern Art. Rio de Janeiro | Brazil. 2022
- Histórias Brasileiras. MASP. São Paulo | Brazil. 2022
- Scenorama. Javett Art Centre. Pretoria | South Africa. 2022-2023
- The show is over. South London Gallery. London | UK. 2022
- The silence of tired tongues. Framer Framed. Amsterdam | Netherlands. 2022
- Festival Toda la teoria del universo. Concepción | Chile. 2022
- Watú não está morto. IEB USP. São Paulo | Brazil.2022
- O rio é uma serpente. Frestas Triennial of arts. Sesc Sorocaba. Sorocaba | Brazil. 2021
- Carolina Maria de Jesus: um Brasil para os brasileiros. Moreira Sales Institute. São Paulo | Brazil. 2021
- Casa Carioca. Museum of Art of Rio - MAR. Rio de Janeiro | Brazil. 2020
- O melhor da viagem é a demora. Valongo Festival. Santos | Brazil. 2019
- Ribeirão Preto Art Salon. Ribeirão Preto Art Museum. Ribeirão Preto | Brazil. 2019
- BRAsA. Mama-Cadela Gallery. Belo Horizonte | Brazil. 2019
- Creative residency award in Visual Arts. Art gallery of the Old Market. Teresina | Brazil. 2019
- Mostra Perplexa. Guignard School of Arts - UEMG. Belo Horizonte | Brazil. 2017
- Guignard School of Arts Internal Exhibition - Guignard School Gallery. Belo Horizonte | Brazil. 2016

RESIDENCIES

- La Becque Résidence d'artistes. La Tour-de-Peilz | Switzerland. 2024
- Hartwig Art Production. Durban | South Africa. 2023/2024
- Residência YBYTU. São Paulo | Brazil. 2023
- Bolsa Pampulha. Belo Horizonte | Brazil. 2021-2022
- Pivô Research. Pivô. São Paulo | Brazil. 2021
- Resilience Residency. Silo art and rural latitude. Serrinha do Alambari | Brazil. 2021
- Outra Margem. Casa Tutti. Vitória | Brazil. 2021
- Study program. Frestas - Triennial of the arts. Sorocaba | Brazil.2020
- Cultural LAB BDMG - Performing Arts. Belo Horizonte| Brazil.2020
- Entre Nós. OÁ Gallery. Vitória | Brazil.2019
- Creative Arts Residency Award. Teresina | Brazil.2019
- Residency in artistic research. Cefart. Fundação Clóvis Salgado. Belo Horizonte | Brazil.2018-2019

AWARDS

- The Arnaldo Pomodoro Sculpture Prize. Fundazione Arnaldo Pomodoro. Nominated in 2025. Italy. 2025
- K21 Global Art Award. Nominated in 2024. Germany. 2024
- Hartwig Art Production | Collection Fund Commissioning Committee 2021-23. Hartwig Art Foundation. Netherlands. 2023
- Pipa Prize. Awarded in 2023 and nominated in 2021, 2022, 2023. Brazil. 2023
- Prince Claus Seed Award. Amsterdam | Netherlands. 2022
- EDP Arts Award. Instituto Tomie Ohtake. São Paulo | Brazil. 2020
- Creative residency award in visual arts. Teresina | Brazil. 2019

WORKS IN PUBLIC COLLECTIONS

- Desaparecimento XV, XVII, XIX, XXI. From the series Sumiço no sopro ou no sulco do chão [2025]. Chrysler Museum. Virginia | USA. 2025
- The beads of my rosary are artillery bullets. Hartwig Art Foundation. Rijkscollectie. Amsterdam | Netherlands. 2024
- Desaparecimento XVII, XVIII e XIX. From the series Sumiço no sopro ou no sulco do chão [2020]. Pinacoteca de São Paulo. São Paulo | Brazil. 2023
- Rearmar a natureza [2022] . Museu de arte da Pampulha. Belo Horizonte | Brazil. 2023
- Counter spell. Work in dialogue with the author Carolina Maria de Jesus for the collection of objects to touch. Museum of Portuguese Language. São Paulo | Brazil. 2020