Amazon Flora Inspires Artist Diô Viana's Retrospective Exhibition

Brazilian artist Diô Viana draws inspiration from the Amazon rainforest for his exhibition "Banzeiro bom," now showing at the Referência Galeria de Arte. The exhibition, curated by Paulo Vega Jr., features 40 works, including paintings, drawings, and engravings created over the past few decades. It offers a retrospective of Viana's career, highlighting themes such as water, the movements of Amazonian rivers, and aspects of Amazonian culture that have always been central to his work. The exhibition is divided into two parts, showcasing the evolution of Viana's engravings and drawings, as well as a series of recent paintings. These paintings offer a reinterpretation of landscapes featuring the Rio Negro and the night sky. Viana's memories of his childhood in the Amazon are also present in this series, which he describes as a journey by boat, observing the waters, sky, and night. Born in Santarém in 1960, Viana spent his childhood in the Amazon region before moving to Belém and later traveling to Rio de Janeiro, France, Mexico, and Colombia. Despite his travels, the Amazon remains a constant presence in his work, representing his childhood memories.