Nena Madalena Exhibition

Nena Madalena Exhibition

Ed. Varie

This event has ended.

Ed. Varie presents Nena, a solo exhibition with Brazilian artist Nena Madalena.

Nena Madalena was born in 1948, in São José dos Campos, Brazil. She barely knew her father and lost her mother at the age of 7, and consequently became the caretaker of her 3 brothers. She grew up working as a housekeeper to make ends meet and had no time for school or study. As a young woman, she moved to São Paulo and married José, with whom she lived with for 30 years and had three children. In 2008, Madalena suffered two strokes that took away her speech and impaired her body.

Encouraged by her grandson Marcus Vinícius Enivo, Madalena began to paint constantly, creating her new found form of expression. For Madalena, painting became both a way to communicate and a process for healing. By allowing her conjured forms and colors to emanate joy, she found joy herself, despite her circumstance, and learned a way to share her endearing sentiments with those around her. Family, children, home, flora, fauna, rain, and sun are themes kindheartedly celebrated in Madalena’s paintings. Exempt from the adulterations of modern society’s fears and vices, Madalena’s world is one in which all things are vessels for benevolence and a simple life. While subjects depicted in her paintings are garden variety, the tenderness and patience in her brush-strokes, and the gentle visual shifts in her meticulous patterns, connect the viewer emotionally to her work.

In 2012, at age 64, Madalena participated in her first exhibition “Heart in the Hand” at A7MA Gallery in São Paulo. In 2016, she was included in the “Bienal Naifs do Brasil”, the 14th Biennale of Outsider Art in Brazil, and had her first solo show at A7MA Gallery. Her work is in collections in Italy, Germany, United States, Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo. Due to the continued decline of her physical abilities, Madalena recently lost her ability to paint. Her work is deeply precious to her family, friends, collectors, and enthusiasts. It is an honor to be the first gallery in New York and North America to exhibit her work.

Media

• Painting

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