About Christina

Biography

The artist Christina Oiticica was born in Rio de Janeiro, on November 23rd. 1951, where she has always lived. In 2003, after many trips to Europe, she decided to divide her time between the Pyrenees in Southwestern France and Rio de Janeiro, where, with much inspiration has developed her work even more, with nature. Creating a partnership with nature, it doesn’t simply have direct technical interference, since her works are left in the river beds, forests, inside trees, etc… she makes the correction.

The artist tries to portray in her work,in a simple and direct way, the world, the present moment, and the society in which we live. That was how my first exhibition emerged, work based on the visual impressions of my pilgrimage along the Path to Santiago de Compostela, in July/August 1990. In mounting the show, at Casa de España, in Rio, I tried to arrange the room so that visitors not only observed the themes of the paintings, but might experience a symbolic journey along the Holy Way.The same thing happened with the exhibition “Anjos” (Angels), in 1994, at Centro Cultural da Light, in Rio. Based on one of the most ancient archetypal forms of contact with divinity, I showed beings which fit in with those retained in the popular imagination (and, consequently, in my imagination).

In the exhibition “Joana D’Arc” (Joan of Arc), in 1996 at Casa França-Brasil, in Rio, I portrayed the woman warrior, through feminine tenderness and the tenacity of women at work. Although I explored the mythical figure of the French heroine, I also drew upon great women of our time (such as Mother Teresa of Calcutta) and the anonymous and valiant warriors of everyday life (black woman from the favela, Islamic women, Indians, Geishas, etc.) In each I placed some detail which represented the original model, part of her armor, a spear, a sword, but emphasized what really exists behind the steel and the breastplate – the feminine essence.

At the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes, in 1997, my theme was a reflection of the previous show. I worked with details of women’s bodies (aging from 12 to 90), captured during small moments of everyday life, such as a hand praying with beads, the foot of a ballet dancer as she puts on her slippers, a bust reflected in the mirror…, small gestures which represent great gestures and help us to face the good fight every day.

During this phase in my work I dived into the figurative world and moved towards monochrome. Although I had always used much color in my work, I thought that this time, the human body portrayed on a canvas, so suavely,should be completed by the eye of the viewer, which wouldn’t just complement the figure, but also stamp on it the color in his or her soul.

In my next works, which were shown at Galeria Portal, in São Paulo, in 1998, and in 1999 at the gallery of Centro Cultural Cândido Mendes, I deliberately sought to innovate, and even take risks. Still using the female body as my theme, I submitted my drawings to the technology of computers in order to reinvent textures, dissolve images, bend and distort objects; I mixed breasts and pearls and recreated a third form…blended and unified. Using the images I obtained, I developed works on canvas, showing that the female body, the beautiful and the sacred can have the same form.

I currently see art as a path for research, one of the roads leading to the discovery of truth and beauty. I also perceive that beauty is not only to be found in the fine brushstroke of the artist, it is present in the various languages which translate art. The installations which today fill my work, reveal in the symbol of the object as art, the beauty of feminine divinity in all its facets – sexuality, fecundity, maternity and life.

Exhibitions

2020

• “Celebrations”, Gallery Elle, Zürich/Switzerland, 1 September 2020  – 31 January 2021, collective
• “Impressões 2018:2019 – From Basel to Brazil”, Paulo Coelho & Christina Oiticica Foundation, Geneva/Switzerland, 23 January – 19 March 2020, collective

2019

• “Impressões 2018:2019 – From Basel to Brazil”, Design Basel, Basel/Switzerland, 11 June 2019, collective
• “Impressões 2018:2019 – From Basel to Brazil”, Expo Revestir, São Paulo/Brazil, 13 March 2019, collective

2018

• “Impressões 2018:2019 – From Basel to Brazil”, Design Miami/USA, 3 December 2018, collective
• “Impressões 2018:2019 – From Basel to Brazil”, Brasilea Foundation, Basel/Switzerland, 10 November 2018, collective
• “Nature”, Galerie ArtDynasty, Geneva/Switzerland, 23 June – 22 September 2018

2017

• “Regard sur la Feminité”, BeCurious, Lausanne/Switzerland, 7-30 June 2017
• “Vier Elemente/Four Elements”, Brasilea Foundation, Basel/Switzerland, 26 January – 16 March 2017

2016

• “Couleurs d’Amazonie”, Galerie Espace_L, Geneva/Switzerland, 13 November 2016 – 14 January 2017
• “Reborn”, Gallery Elle, Zürich/Switzerland, 20 October 2016

2015

• Art Meets in Zermatt, Mont Cervin Palace, Zermatt/Switzerland, 2015 winter season
• “Elles”, Galerie Espace_L, Geneva, Switzerland, November 2015 – January 2016
• CAGI, Geneva, Switzerland, 26 November 2015
• Consulate-General of Brasil, Geneva, Switzerland, September 2015 – March 2016
• Auberge d’Hermance, Hermance/GE, Switzerland, January 2015 – March 2016

2014

• Terra, Galerie Espace_L, Geneva – Switzerland, 19 November-8 January 2015
• Maison de l’Amerique Latine de Monaco, 10 April-10 May, Monaco

2013

• MONAA Gala Dinner/Auction  2013, Salle des Etoiles Du Sporting Monte-Carlo, 15 November 2013, Monaco
• Exhibition Christina Oiticica, Museu do Café Fazenda Lageado 7-30 November –  Botucatu  –  Brasil
• Exhibition Art St Moritz – Naef – 24 June-30 August – Geneva, Switzerland
• Auction Criança Esperança Rede Globo – Brasil Monaco Project –  Hotel de Paris – 4 May –  Principality of Monaco

2012

• Construtores do Brasil – Camara dos Deputados – Brasilia – Brazil
• Dublin Biennial 2012 – Dublin Biennial Gallery – Dublin – Irlanda
• Brasil x2 – Galeria Candido Lopez – Centro Cultural Palacio Paz- Buenos Aires – Argentina
• Coraçao e Bocas – Realidade Galeria – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
• Mae Terra – Casa do Bispo – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil

2011

• Os Portais –  Tourist Office – Tarbes – France
• Caminhos do Sol Nascente e Poente – Mercado da Ribeira – Olinda – Brazil
• XVI Circuito Internacional de Arte Brasileira – Museu Inima de Paula – Belo Horizonte – Brazil
• XVI Circuito Internacional de Arte Brasileira – Casa Brasil – Madrid – Spain
• Dialogues – Exhibition Hall – ONU – Nova Iorque – USA
• XVI Circuito Internacional de Arte Brasileira – Museu de Montemor – Montemor-o-Novo –  Portugal
• XVI Circuito Internacional de Arte Brasileira –  Lateinamerika Institut – Vienna – Austria
• Carnaval é Arte –  Camarote Daniela Mercury – Salvador – Brazil

2010

• Ritmos y Colores de Brasil – Casa Brasil – Madrid – Spain
• Performance Uniques Special Ones – Florence, Italy
• Os Portais – Parador de los Reyes Catolicos – Santiago de Compostela – Spain
• A Nuvem e a Duna – children’s book launch – São Paulo & Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
• Amazônia – Hotel Diplomat – Stockholm – Sweden

2009

• Kumano Kodo Mother Earth – Kumano Hongu Heritage Center – Hongu – Japan
• Art en Capital – Grand Palais – Paris – France
• Momento Brasil – Washington – USA
• St. Moritz Art Masters Festival – St. Moritz – Switzerland
• Camino Peregrino – Igrexa da Universidade – Santiago de Compostela – Spain
• Camino Peregrino – Biondetta Art Gallery – Madrid – Spain
• Terres Indigènes – Centre  Culturel Joel le Theule – Sablé-sur-Sarthe – France

2008

• Amazonia Exhibit – Britto Central Gallery – Miami – USA
• Salon de la Société Nationale des Beaux-Arts – Carrousel du Louvre – Paris – France
• Camino Peregrino – Casa de las Carnicerias de Caja Espana – Leon – Spain
• Camino Peregrino – Albergue de peregrinos – Hospital de Órbigo – Spain
• Camino Peregrino – Sala de Cultura Caja Espana – Astorga – Spain
• Camino Peregrino – Centro Cultural Caja Espana – Bembibre – Spain
• Camino Peregrino – Centro Cultural Caja Espana – Ponferrada – Spain
• St. Moritz Art Masters Festival 2008 – St. Moritz – Switzerland

2007

• Camino Peregrino – Hotel El Peregrino – Puente la Reina – Spain
• Performance Festival Infr’action 07 – Sète – France
• Decentrism The Hidden Dimension – District Museum – Kalisz – Poland

2006

• Performance Festival Infr’action 06 – Sète – France
• Exposição 4B – As Neves – Spain
• Galeria BACI – Washington – USA
• Temporary Art Center – Eindhoven – Netherlands

2005

• Caminhos Revividos – Louis Vuitton – São Paulo – Brazil
• Caminhos Revividos – Louis Vuitton – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
• Christina Oiticica – Galeria do CROUS – Paris – France
• Collective Exhibition – Hotel de Ville – Lyon – France
• Les Quatre Saisons – Maison des Écritures – Lyon – France

2004

• As Quatros Estaçoes – Centro Cultural França-Brasil – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
• As Quatro Estaçoes – Galeria Candido Portinari – Rome – Italy
• 4ª Exposição Visual de Fotografias – Bienal de Liège – Belgium

2003

• The Four Seasons – Mestna Galerija Ljubljana – Ljubljana – Slovenia
• International Art Exhibition – Palácio da Unesco – Beirut – Lebanon
• Collective Exhibition – Centro Cultural dos Correios – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
• Virtual Exhibition Sinais – Casa França Brasil – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
• 48º Salon D’Art Contemporânea de Montrouge – Montrouge – France
• Caminhos Recolhidos – Época Galeria de Arte – Goiânia – Brazil

2002

• De Melkerij – Beisem – Belgiun
• Caminhos Recolhidos – Museu Nacional de Belas Artes – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
• Paisagens Imaginarias – Oscar Wilde House –  Dublin – Ireland

2001

• Collective Exhibition – Galerie Lafayette – Paris – France
• Parcours, Recoltes – Galerie Debret – Paris- France
• Parcours, Recoltes – La Petite Galerie – Brussels – Belgium
• Parcours, Recoltes – Espaço Multiuso da Embaixada do Brasil – Berlin – Germany
• Bocas e Coraçoes Galeria de Arte Ipanema – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
• Corpo de Mulher – Artexpo – Jacob Javits Convention Center – New York – USA
• Nascita de Venere – Aeroporto Guarulhos – São Paulo – Brazil

2000

• Parcours, Recoltes – Centro Culturel Franco – Bresilien – Paris – France
• Installation Sonho de Jaco  – Galeria do Poste – Niterói – Brazil
• Parcours, Recoltes – Museu Histórico Nacional – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil

1999

• Fio das Contas – Centro Cultural Cândido Mendes – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
• Carregador de Perolas – Centro de Arte Hélio Oiticica – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil

1998

• Corpo de Mulher – Artexpo – Jacob Javits Convention Center – New York – USA
• O Circulo e o Ponto, O Ponto e o Circulo – Galeria Portal – São Paulo – Brazil

1997

• Corpo de Mulher – Citibank – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
• Corpo de Mulher – Museu Nacional de Belas Artes – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil

1996

• Joana D’arc – Casa França Brasil – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil

1995

• Caminho de santiago – Museu Histórico Nacional – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil

1994

• Os anjos – Centro Cultural Light – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil

1993

• Caminho de Santiago – Casa d’España – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil

1991

• Caminho de Santiago -Centro Cultural Avatar – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
• Caminho de Santiago – Caixa Econômica Federal – Olinda – Brazil
• Christina Oiticica – Jymmy Bastian Pinto – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil

1985

• Performance Espuma – Metrô da cidade do Rio de Janeiro – Brazil

1984

• Parque Lage – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
• Museu de Arte Moderna – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil
• Bazar Brasil – Rio de Janeiro – Brazil