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). 201 -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. Presentation text by Cíntia Guedes. Centro Cultural São Paulo - CCSP. 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


- Delay and encounter and/or other proximate unknowns. Foundation for contemporary art. Accra | Ghana. 2023
- Coreografias do Impossível. 35th São Paulo Biennial  | BR
- Direito à forma. Curated by Déri Andrade and Igor Simões. Inhotim. Brumadinho | BR. 2023
- Dos Brasis. Curated by Igor Simões and Lorraine Mendes. Sesc Belenzinho. São Paulo | BR. 2023
- Vida transbordante e os desejos do mundo. As Curator. Solar dos Abacaxis. Rio de Janeiro | BR. 2023
- Pipa Prize 2023. Paço Imperial. Rio de Janeiro | BR. 2023
- Linhas Tortas. Curated by Diana Campbell. Mendes Wood DM. São Paulo | BR. 2023
- Esfíngico Frontal. Curated by Germano Dushá. Mendes Wood DM. São Paulo | BR. 2023
- Six artists. Curated by Lorraine Mendes. Mendes Wood DM. Nova York | USA. 2023
- Um século de agora. Curator: Júlia Rebouças. Itaú Cultural. São Paulo | BR. 2022
- Atos de Revolta: outros imaginários sobre independência. Curators: Thiago de Paula, Keyna Eleison, Beatriz Lemos e Paulo Lafuente. Museum of Modern Art - MAM. Rio de Janeiro | BR. 2022
- Histórias Brasileiras. Curator: Isabella Rjeille. MASP. São Paulo | BR. 2022
- Scenorama. Curator: Gabi Ngcobo. Javett art centre. Pretoria | South Africa. 2022-2023
- The show is over. Curator: Gabi Ngcobo. South London Gallery. London | UK. 2022
- The silence of tired tongues. Curator: Raphael Fonseca. Framer Framed. Amsterdam | Netherlands . 2022
- Festival Toda la teoria del universo. Curator: Juliana Gontijo. Concepción | Chile. 2022
- Watú não está morto. Curator: Maíra Ortins, Fabrício Reiner e Luiz Bagolin. Instituto de Estudos Brasileiros da Universidade de São Paulo - IEB USP. São Paulo | BR. 2022
- O rio é uma serpente. Frestas Triennial of arts. Sesc Sorocaba. Sorocaba | BR. 2021
- Carolina Maria de Jesus: um Brasil para os brasileiros. Curadors: Hélio Menezes e Raquel Barreto. Moreira Sales Institut. São Paulo | BR. 2021
- Casa Carioca. Curator: Marcelo Campos and Joice Berth. Museum of Art of Rio - MAR. Rio de Janeiro | BR. 2020
- O melhor da viagem é a demora. Curator: Diane Lima. Valongo Festival. Santos | BR. 2019
- Ribeirão Preto Art Salon. Ribeirão Preto art museum. Ribeirão Preto | BR. 2019
- BRAsA. Mama-Cadela Gallery. Belo Horizonte | BR. 2019
- Creative residency award in Visual Arts. Curator: Guga Carvalho. Art gallery of the Old Market. Teresina | BR.2019
- Mostra Perplexa. Curator: Marco Paulo Rola - Escola Guignard. Belo Horizonte | BR. 2017
- Guignard School of arts Internal Exhibition - Guignard School Gallery. Belo Horizonte | BR. 2016



RESIDENCIES


- Short period residency. Curator: Gabi Ngcobo. Javett UP. Pretoria | South Africa. 2022
- 6 months residency. Curator: Gabi Ngcobo and Thiago de Paula.  Funded by Hartwig Art Foundation. Durban | South Africa. 2023
- Residência YBYTU. YBYTU. São Paulo | BR. 2023
- Bolsa Pampulha 2021 – 2022. Belo Horizonte | BR. 2021-2022
- Pivô Research. Pivô. São Paulo | BR. 2021
- Resilience Residency. Silo art and rural latitude. Serrinha do Alambari | BR. 2021
- Outra Margem Residency. Curator: Clara Sampaio. Casa Tutti. Vitória | BR. 2021
- Study program. Frestas - Triennial of the arts. Curator: Diane Lima, Beatriz Lemos, Thiago de Paula. Sesc Sorocaba. Sorocaba | BR. 2020
- Cultural LAB BDMG Performing Arts. Mentoring: Grace Passô. Belo Horizonte| BR. 2020
- Entre Nós Residency. OÁ Gallery. Vitória | BR. 2019
- Creative Arts Residency Award. Teresina | BR. 2019
- Residency in artistic research. Cefart. FAPEMIG and Fundação Clóvis Salgado. Belo Horizonte | MG. 2018-2019



AWARDS


- Comission for a 6 month residency in South Africa for creating a new work. Curator: Gabi Ngcobo and Thiago de Paula. Funded by Hartwig Art Foundation (Netherlands). Durban | South Africa. 2023
- Pipa Prize. Awarded in 2023 and nominee in 2021, 2022 and 2023. BR. 2023
- Prince Claus Seed Award. Amsterdam | NL. 2022
- EDP Arts Award. Instituto Tomie Ohtake. São Paulo | BR. 2020
-Creative residency award in visual arts. Teresina | BR . 2019



WORKS IN PUBLIC COLLECTIONS


- Desaparecimento XVII, XVIII e XIX. From the series Sumiço no sopro ou no sulco do chão [2020]. Pinacoteca de São Paulo. São Paulo | BR. 2023
- Rearmar a natureza [2022] . Museu de arte da Pampulha. Belo Horizonte | BR. 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 | BR. 2020