Discover the trajectory of Tomie Ohtake and her contributions to Brazilian art, from galleries to major interventions in public spaces traduzido por: OPENROUTER
Submitted at Aug 21, 2026, 10:32 AM
Tomie Ohtake (1913–2015) foi uma das grandes referências da arte brasileira, construindo uma trajetória marcada pela abstração, pela experimentação e por esculturas que se tornaram parte da paisagem urbana. (Instituto Tomie Ohtake/Divulgação)
Tomie Ohtake is one of the most important names in Brazilian art and built a trajectory marked by experimentation, creative freedom, and a constant search for new forms of expression.
Tomie Ohtake em frente à sua residência, projetada por seu filho, Ruy Ohtake, em colaboração com o arquiteto Adolfo Sato. (Instituto Tomie Ohtake/Divulgação)
Born in Kyoto, Japan, in 1913, she arrived in Brazil in 1936 and settled in São Paulo, the city where her artistic production would gain strength. The artist began painting near the age of 40 and, over the following decades, developed a body of work that moved through painting, printmaking and sculpture. With a body of work recognized in Brazil and abroad, Tomie left profound marks on galleries, museums, and also on urban landscapes.
Tomie Ohtake began her artistic career at age 39, encouraged by the Japanese artist Keiya Sugano. Shortly thereafter, her work began to gain space in Brazilian salons and exhibitions, consolidating an independent career without any fixed link to artistic movements or manifestos.
Tomie Ohtake (1913–2015) foi uma das grandes referências da arte brasileira, construindo uma trajetória marcada pela abstração, pela experimentação e por esculturas que se tornaram parte da paisagem urbana. (Luiz Carlos Santos/Agência O Globo/Divulgação)
This freedom was one of the most striking characteristics of her work: Tomie experimented with different techniques and media, without abandoning the research that guided her production for decades. Throughout her life, she took part in 20 international biennials, held more than 120 solo exhibitions, and received important recognitions for her contribution to the visual arts.
Much of Tomie Ohtake's work is associated with abstraction. In her paintings, geometric shapes, curves, circles, lines, and large fields of color combine to create compositions that seem to be in motion.
Aqui, temos seis obras de Tomie Ohtake que revelam a diversidade de sua produção artística, marcada pela abstração, pelas formas geométricas, pelas curvas e pela exploração das cores. (Nara Roesler/Divulgação)
Over the years, her work became increasingly free, exploring gestures, transparencies, textures, and the behavior of the paint itself on the canvas. Instead of reproducing figures or landscapes, the artist sought to provoke sensations through the relationship between forms, colors, and space, creating works open to different interpretations.
The diversity of techniques was another important aspect of her trajectory. Tomie produced paintings and prints, but also stood out in the field of sculpture, developing large-scale works and exploring materials such as concrete, iron, and steel. Many of her sculptures have organic shapes, creating a strong relationship with the surrounding space.
Criada em 2013, esta escultura abstrata de Tomie Ohtake é produzida em tubo de aço carbono com pintura epóxi branca, destacando as formas curvas tão características de sua produção. (Nara Roesler/Divulgação)
Printmaking, in turn, was a permanent field of experimentation throughout her career, allowing the artist to explore textures, cutouts, overlays and color variations. This constant willingness to experiment helps explain why her work continued to transform even after decades of production.
Inaugurado em 1988, o Monumento aos 80 Anos da Imigração Japonesa, de Tomie Ohtake, tornou-se um dos marcos da paisagem paulistana na Avenida 23 de Maio. (Nara Roesler/Divulgação)
One of Tomie Ohtake's most visible contributions to Brazilian culture lies in her public works. There are more than 30 pieces integrated into different cities, especially in São Paulo.
Quatro obras públicas de Tomie Ohtake: 1. Laboratório Aché (1997); 2. Edifício Berrini 500 (2000); 3. IEB – Instituto de Estudos Brasileiros da USP (1994) e 4. Escola Maria Imaculada (1992). (Instituto Tomie Ohtake/Divulgação)
Among them is the famous sculpture on Avenida 23 de Maio, created in 1988 to commemorate the 80th anniversary of Japanese immigration to Brazil. Also part of this legacy are the works at the Consolação Metro Station, the Memorial da América Latina, the University City and the Ibirapuera Auditorium, among other spaces. These interventions brought art closer to everyday life, taking the artist's work beyond museums and galleries.
Throughout her career, Tomie Ohtake participated in exhibitions in Brazil and in countries such as the United States, Japan, Italy and the United Kingdom. In 1983, a major retrospective at the São Paulo Museum of Art Assis Chateaubriand, MASP, further expanded her recognition among the public.
A Ladeira da Memória foi realizada por Tomie Ohtake em 1984 sobre a parede cega de um edifício no Anhangabaú. (Instituto Tomie Ohtake/Divulgação)
The artist also took part in important biennials and had works incorporated into collections of relevant institutions. The collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art at USP, for example, brings together works by Tomie, and her production continues to be studied and presented in exhibitions dedicated to abstraction and Brazilian art.
No Memorial da América Latina, em São Paulo, a arte de Tomie Ohtake também ganha espaço em uma monumental tapeçaria, criada especialmente para integrar a arquitetura do complexo. (Instituto Tomie Ohtake/Divulgação)
Tomie Ohtake passed away in 2015, at the age of 101, but her work continues to influence artists and spark the interest of new generations. In São Paulo, the Instituto Tomie Ohtake preserves and promotes her legacy through exhibitions, research, and cultural initiatives, while also keeping the discussion about her production alive.
(Divulgação/Divulgação)
Her trajectory also represents an important contribution to the appreciation of women in art history and to the recognition of Japanese influence on Brazilian culture. From canvases to monumental sculptures, Tomie built a body of work that transformed spaces and showed that art can remain in motion, always open to new experiences.
traduzido por: OPENROUTER
