Mauricio Porto

MPorto at WHB Library

mportostudio — Tue, 04 Jun 2024 17:57:28 +0000

It is often said that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” What can be said about paintings full of images and colors among millions of words and hundreds of books, miles of information, and culture?

The idea of showcasing my art to an audience seeking information makes me happy. It feels like a meeting of guidelines between colors, shapes, and words. So many interpretations…

My inspiration comes from magazines, fashion, and culture, as I am a professional in the fields of advertising, design, direction, and art creation. I hope the visitors and readers of this library space enjoy, read, and admire my artworks.

I would like to express my gratitude to Westhampton Public Library for the opportunity. Opening the doors to art is a noble and, above all, creative gesture.

Maurício Porto

Press Release - MAURICIO PORTO at WHB PUBLIC LIBRARY

A universe of colors, flowers, tropical landscapes, and portraits of iconic personalities from the media world – this is the art of Maurício Porto, a Brazilian artist based in New York.

Porto has dedicated over 40 years to painting, alongside his professional activities as an advertiser and graphic designer. The talent has been present since childhood, but it was at the age of 16 that the artist first picked up brushes, with private lessons under the guidance of Maria Augusta Procópio, an artist-teacher from his hometown, with a degree in Fine Arts.

His fondness for portraits and people is remarkable. The faces and expressions that emerge from his canvases are executed with the skill of a painter who enjoys studying personalities and the human figure. Using as subjects both well-known artists and anonymous faces from his compositions, scenes and gestures are recreated against chromatic backgrounds with customized colors. By blending characters with elements of the tropical nature of his native country, Maurício Porto’s paintings bring forth enigmatic and exclusive compositions, such as portraits of old Hollywood actress Carmen Miranda, a Brazilian cultural symbol extensively explored by the artist.

The strong influence of Pop Art is also perceptible in the choice of themes and colors, with Andy Warhol being one of the Mauricio’s idols, along with the abstract master Mark Rothko.

The former for the fascination with portraying iconic people connected to the mass media, and the latter for the absolute use of color as a form of expression. Porto draws from these sources while bringing his own refined and distinctive style to his art, always showcasing the central theme adorned by other forms.

Mauricio Porto participated in Les Salon des Artists Independants, at the Grand Palais Éphèmere, in Paris last February and will have his paintings exhibited at ArtExpoNY from April 4th to 7th, Pier 36, New York. A frequent visitor to the Hamptons, his artworks will be displayed at the Westhampton Public Library during the month of June 2024.

Art Expo NY 2024

mportostudio — Wed, 22 May 2024 14:25:35 +0000

Meditation series

mportostudio — Sat, 04 May 2024 21:10:09 +0000

FINDING NEMO – Acrylic and oil on canvas – 36×36″ – 2024

Did you find it? Yes, the little cute clownfish is kind of hidden there. As a big fan of animation movies I could help to fall in love with Finding Nemo, but the idea came up while I was doing the digital sketches for this painting. I was catching fishes on the internet to make this composition and hit on Nemo and Dory. How cute they are.

But the idea here was originally display a scene with an Asian woman – I’ve always captivated by their beauty and intelligence. Beyond its visual elements, the painting carries a statement against the racism towards the Asian community in New York City.

AQUARIUS MEDITATION – Acrylic and oil on canvas – 36×36″ – 2022

The inspiration: Movies, music, books, magazines, and astrology are some of my passions. One of the remarkable movies I watched as a teenager was ‘Hair’ by Milos Forman (1979). Still living in my hometown in Brazil, I recall leaving the theater with a sense that the world could be better somehow, somewhere. The singer Renn Woods’ opening scene singing ‘Aquarius’ is a classic. The hippies dancing to Twyla Tharp’s choreography in Central Park have stayed in my mind ever since.

The message: I painted this piece during the Covid pandemic. The woman’s figure, in a profile position, evokes a sense of deep meditation, as if she is inhaling hope and meditating for a better future.

Note: I was born in February under the sign of Aquarius, and later in life, when I did my birth chart, I discovered that my rising sign is also Aquarius. So, I’m doubly Aquarius, and I like it.

BREATHE – Acrylic and oil on canvas – 36×36″ – 2023

The fashion world calls me!
My husband, Jorge Veronese, and I received a beautiful hardcover book as a gift, celebrating 150 years of Bazaar Magazine.

Among its pages, the image of a magazine cover from 1960 immediately captured my attention. The pose intrigued me – the figure ‘enveloped’ beneath a blanket, with a serene expression delighting in the autumn sunlight under a blue sky. I added some flowers and green foliage, evoking a sense of tranquility, beauty and nature. The original photo is credited to American photographer Richard Avedon.

AUDREY HEPBURN AND THE HUMMING BIRD – Acrylic and oil on canvas – 36×36″ – 2022

Besides being recognized as a film and fashion icon, Audrey Hepburn left forever an image of sensitivity and graciousness. Beyond her acting career, Hepburn was also recognized for her philanthropic work. She served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and actively participated in humanitarian missions, especially focusing on the welfare of children in developing countries. Hepburn’s legacy continues to influence fashion, film, and humanitarian efforts to this day. She remains an enduring icon of beauty, grace, and humanitarianism.

I painted my first portrait of Audrey for the exhibition Happiness, Brazil 2017. I created a composition with the humming bird looking away while Audrey observes it. For the background I mixed acrylic colors to get closer to Tiffany’s blue. For this second portrait I wanted to play more with the actress and bird interaction: Audrey is looking to us, while the bird is staring at her with fascination.

POWER – Acrylic and oil on canvas – 36×36″ – 2023

I often find my eyes drawn to fashion magazine covers and articles, and one particular issue of Bazaar magazine featuring a striking image of a black woman adorned in a Balenciaga gown on the cover really caught my attention. Every time I glanced at it, I felt compelled to do something inspired by that image. The cover portrayed a dramatic scene, with the model striking a powerful pose against a futuristic backdrop.

This image lingered in my mind for months until I finally decided to recreate it in a new composition. I added a bold red turban and emphasized the hands, aiming to convey a sense of strength and resilience. Was she a woman who had overcome life’s challenges? What message did she wish to transmit to the world? Perhaps it was a simple yet profound declaration: ‘never again shall we tolerate slavery.’ The bracelets and chains, once symbols of confinement for black people, now serve as mere fashion adornments. The woman emanates empowerment, poised for anything that comes her way.

MINDSET – Acrylic and oil on canvas – 36×36″ – 2022

In the midst of pollution and the frenetic pace of big city life, amidst the constant hustle and bustle, there’s an invitation to shed it all and immerse oneself in a tranquil state of mind. Meditation offers the means to unplug, to distance ourselves from the relentless gray of the concrete jungle.

And serendipitously, buried within my collection of magazine clippings—a bag brimming with pages torn from magazines—lay a black and white, bluish advertisement.

Paris 2024

mportostudio — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 20:46:02 +0000

Maurício Porto participates in the exhibition Salón des Indépendants 2024 in Paris

With a trajectory in the arts that includes several exhibitions in United States and Brazil, Maurício Porto currently resides in New York with his husband Jorge Veronese. Both were in Paris for the artist’s participation in the Salón des Artistes Indépendants 2024, which took place between February 13th and 18th.

The event, which celebrated 140 years since its first edition in 1884, was founded by innovative French artists of the time, such as Paul Cézanne, Paul Gauguin, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, Camille Pissarro, among other renowned names in the history of world art.

With the aim of presenting emerging and established artists to the public and collectors from all over the world, the Salón des Artistes Indépendants took place for five days at the Grand Palais Éphémère, located in front of the Eiffel Tower, bringing together French and international artists from all disciplines.

Maurício Porto was represented by Galeria Nasse NY.

Press

mportostudio — Fri, 09 Feb 2024 16:04:39 +0000

Iconics

mportostudio — Sat, 28 Aug 2021 18:59:23 +0000

MADONNA ICONIC | 39 x 47″ | Oil over Acrylic on Canvas | 2018

What to say about Madonna? The Queen of Pop, the Queen of Self Marketing Strategies. She brings a combination of artistic creation, rhythm and audacious intelligence based on pure provocation. How not to surrender? Madonna poses and the world stops to watch, the entire planet surrenders to Madonna. How can I not be inspired by this artist and portray her image immortalizing once again a truly Icon.

RITA LEE | 36 x 36″ | Oil over Acrylic on Canvas | 2018

Rita Lee is one of the big names in the Brazilian music scene. Daughter of an American father, she was born in Brazil, and was the first Brazilian female singer to venture into the rhythm of rock and roll, a field dominated only by male singers at her time. Rita broke sales records with her songs that practically all Brazilians sing to these days. Rita Lee is an Icon.

AUDREY HEPBURN AND HUMMING BIRD I | 36 x 36″ | Oil over Acrylic on Canvas | 2018

GRACE KELLY

16 x 20″

Oil over Acrylic on canvas | 2012

JAMES DEAN

16 x 20″

Oil over Acrylic on canvas | 2012

BETTE DAVIS

16 x 20″

Oil over Acrylic on canvas | 2012

MARLON BRANDO

16 x 20″

Oil over Acrylic on canvas | 2012

“They had style, they had grace they gave good face.” – Madonna | VOGUE

The song Vogue was one of the greatest Madonna’s hit, as she put herself on the spolight forever. A bunch of Hollywood iconic celebrities from days past are mentioned in the lyrics as examples of people who had “grace”.

Exhibitions

mportostudio — Sat, 28 Aug 2021 18:45:06 +0000

My most remarkable exhibition was Carmen Miranda – The Brazilian Bombshell.

Painting portraits are my favorite theme, but the expression on Carmen Miranda’s face suddenly appeared in my life and became an infinite inspiration. It happened first as an image study for a design project. So, I had never painted her face and decided to do on a canvas first.

In 1999 I painted my first Carmen and displayed in a New York City gallery. It was sold in one week.

After that I started to get commissions for new Carmens, I have painted more than twenty I guess.

In 2016 I decided to dedicate a whole exhibition in honor of Carmen, since she had became my muse.

The opening was on March 08 of that year, also celebrating the Women’s International Day.

Aquarius

mportostudio — Sat, 28 Aug 2021 18:20:21 +0000

Movies, music, books, magazines and astrology are some of my passions. One of the remarkable movies I watched as a teenager was Hair, by Milos Forman . Still living in my hometown, I recall leaving the theater with that good sensation that the world could be better somehow and somewhere. The singer Renn Woods opening scene singing Aquarius is a classic. The hippies dancing Twyla Tharp’s coreography in Central Park stayed in my mind since then.