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Biography
Bruno Novelli's painting practice is marked by a distinctive use of color, dense surface patterns, and a visual lexicon that draws from a wide range of historical and cultural references. Born in Fortaleza, Brazil, in 1980, the artist is strongly influenced by the richness of the Amazon and has been in long-standing dialogue with Huni Kuin Indigenous artists. Novelli constructs images populated by fantastical animals, symbolic forms, and dreamlike visions of nature. At the same time, his work examines the legacy of European representations of the tropical landscape, exploring the tension between nature and its domination by man. Novelli’s compositions bring together elements from medieval bestiaries, Renaissance painting, so-called naïve art, surrealism, and pop culture. This confluence of sources gives rise to a unique visual grammar, where imagination and structure coexist in complex pictorial arrangements.
Over the past two decades, Novelli has exhibited in major Brazilian and international institutions. Notable exhibitions include Siamo Foresta (Group, Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain at Triennale Milano, Italy, 2023); Les Vivants (Living Worlds) (Group, Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain at Lille 3000, Lille, France, 2022); Tesouro das Feras(Solo, Museu de Arte Contemporânea do Rio Grande do Sul — MACRS, Porto Alegre, Brazil, 2021); and 1981/2021: Arte contemporânea brasileira na coleção de Andrea e José Olympio Pereira (Group, CCBB Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 2021). He studied drawing at the Ateliê Livre da Prefeitura in Porto Alegre (2003) and received his degree in graphic design from ESPM, São Paulo (2014). Between 2003 and 2007, he initiated and co-organized a series of independent, interdisciplinary programs under the name Universidade Autoindicada por Entidades Livres, fostering artistic experimentation and exchange.
Selected Exhibitions
2025 – Cannibal Nature, Baró Galeria, Mallorca
2024 – Tudo se transforma na Terra, Galatea, São Paulo
2023 – Siamo Foresta, Triennale Milano / Fondation Cartier, Milan
2022 – Les Vivants (Living Worlds), Tri Postal – lille3000 / Fondation Cartier, Lille
2021 – Tesouro das Feras, MACRS – Museu de Arte Contemporânea do Rio Grande do Sul
2021 – 1981/2021: Arte contemporânea brasileira na coleção Andrea e José Olympio Pereira, CCBB, Rio de Janeiro
Collections
– Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, Paris
– MACRS – Museu de Arte Contemporânea do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre
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Entretien avec Bruno Novelli – « Les Vivants »
Credit by Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain -
News
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Bruno Novelli: Sol de Ouro
at the Museu Inimá de Paula in Belo Horizonte, Brazil October 1, 2025Bruno Novelli opens a new institutional exhibition at the Museu Inimá de Paula in Belo Horizonte, Brazil,. Entitled Sol de Ouro , the show presents...Read more -
Bruno Novelli: Exposition Générale
at Foundation Cartier, Paris October 1, 2025Bruno Novelli is part of “Exposition Générale / General Exhibition”, the landmark show inaugurating the new Fondation Cartier space at 2, Place du Palais-Royal, Paris,...Read more -
Bruno Novelli at Cosmogonias Brasileiras
at Natalie Seroussi, Paris October 1, 2025Bruno Novelli takes part in the exhibition Cosmogonias Brasileiras , presented at Galerie Natalie Seroussi in Paris from September 25, 2025. The show brings together...Read more
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Exhibitions
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Onde Nasce o Rio
Bruno Novelli 24 Oct - 8 Nov 2025Baró Galeria presents from October 24 Onde Nasce o Rio, the first solo exhibition in Paris by Brazilian artist Bruno Novelli, curated by fellow Brazilian Chico Soll. The show inaugurates...Read more -
Cannibal Nature
Curated by Rolando J. Carmona 5 Jun - 1 Sep 2025 MallorcaBaró Galeria is pleased to announce CANNIBAL NATURE , a group exhibition curated by Rolando J. Carmona, to be presented on the occasion of Art Palma Summer 2025, opening on...Read more -
ARCOLisboa 2025
Booth I-03 29 May - 1 Jun 2025 -
Art Dubai 2025
Booth F3 16 - 20 Apr 2025
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Press
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