The pioneering Brazilian artist Lygia Pape (1927–2004) is now officially represented by Mendes Wood DM, marking a new chapter for the late artist’s estate. Celebrated for her five-decade-long contributions to Brazilian art, Pape was a central figure of both the Concrete and Neo-Concrete movements, known for pushing boundaries in sculpture, prints, installations, and immersive experiences.
Pedro Mendes, founder of Mendes Wood DM, highlighted that the gallery is “very connected to where Pape began her ideas,” offering the estate a Brazilian home with international reach, capable of showcasing her legacy from São Paulo to the world. Mendes Wood DM, with spaces in São Paulo, Brussels, Paris, and New York, plans a career-spanning exhibition in São Paulo in April 2026, coinciding with the SP-Arte fair and Pape’s centenary celebrations. The gallery will also bring works to Art Basel Paris in October 2025.
Pape’s artistic journey began with studies in philosophy and aesthetics at Universidade do Brasil, coupled with visual arts training in Rio de Janeiro. She first gained attention as a printmaker with abstract woodcuts before co-founding the Neo-Concrete movement in 1959 alongside artists like Lygia Clark and Hélio Oiticica. Neo-Concretism emphasized interactive, sensorial art, breaking away from the rigidity of earlier Concrete art and inviting audiences to engage with space, form, and texture.
Her iconic works include the Tecelares series, inspired by Indigenous weaving patterns, and Livro da Criação, a participatory artist book. In later decades, Pape created immersive installations, films, and geometric thread environments like Ttéia 1, C, exploring space, light, and perception. Her work often carried subtle political commentary, especially during Brazil’s military dictatorship.
Next week, the Pinault Collection in Paris opens Pape’s first retrospective in France, Tisser l’espace (Weaving Space), spotlighting monumental works like Ttéia 1, C. Pape’s legacy continues to inspire, with her works in major collections including the MoMA, Tate, Centre Pompidou, Inhotim, and Glenstone.
