Paulo Nazareth

Paulo Nazareth's work takes various forms, including video, photography, and found objects, his most potent medium might be the cultivation of relationships with the people he encounters on his journeys.

Biography of Paulo Nazareth

Paulo Nazareth was born in 1977 in Governador Valadares, Brazil. Currently, he lives and works in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

The artist studied at Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, where he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts and Master of Fine Arts. 

Throughout his illustrious career, Nazareth has received numerous awards, including Prêmio 12º Salão Nacional de Arte de Itajaí, Bolsa Papumlha - 28º Salão de Arte de Belo Horizon, and MASP de Artes Visuais – Mercedes-Benz Award.

His solo exhibitions were held at various venues, including The Power Plant, Toronto, and Pivô, São Paulo (2022), ICA Miami (2019), Rockefeller Center (2019), Tanzhaus Düsseldorf (2016), Galleria France Noero (2014), Institute for Contemporary Arts (London, 2014), and Museu de Arte de Pampulha (Belo Horizonte, 2018).

Paulo Nazareth's Art Style

Paulo Nazareth's art often originates from simple yet precise gestures with far-reaching implications. These gestures raise awareness about pressing issues related to immigration, racialization, globalization, and colonialism, as well as their impact on art production and consumption in his native Brazil and the Global South.

While his work takes various forms, including video, photography, and found objects, his most potent medium might be the cultivation of relationships with the people he encounters on his journeys. This is particularly true for those who must remain invisible due to their legal status or those who are oppressed by governmental authorities.

In some ways, Nazareth intentionally embodies the romantic notion of the wandering artist in search of personal and universal truths, using his art to challenge stereotyped assumptions about national identity, cultural history, and human worth.