Lima was born in the small northern Brazilian fishing village of Cascavel until he moved to Rio de Janeiro and quickly immersed himself in the underworld of drugs and sexuality, absorbing all he could about art, religion, alchemy, science fiction and philosophy. After he had a mental breakdown, he was admitted to a local mental facility. There, he was discovered by the well-known Brazilian artist Ivan Serpa, who took him in and mentored him in printmaking at his home and studio for the next few years. Lima subsequently partook in several prestigious exhibitions where he met with the likes of Salvador Dali and Jadorowski, among others. At age 47, Lima had an accident and died. His work fell into obscurity until the past few years, when curators have included his art in important exhibitions.
Vasconcelos is a contemporary Brazilian artist residing in the mountain town of Teresopolis, Brazil. Once she moved there, she discovered the art of Lima, who also once lived there. Her art explores the “realms of the mythic, the mystical and the occult through the use of traditional techniques, with a particular focus on the exploration of automatism in water-based media.” Her distinctive style alludes to influences from symbolism and surrealism and marks “a continuation of the tradition of women artists working with the subjects of magic and the occult,” as it’s put in a press release.
She’s illustrated numerous book both in English and in Portuguese, including a Brazilian edition of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Raven.” Her work has been exhibited internationally.
The first major institutional exhibition in the United States for both artists, Magia Protetora opens on July 1 at the Buckland Museum and continues through Sept. 30.
This article appears in Jun 15-28, 2022.
