Chico da Silva
Biography
Francisco Domingos da Silva, known as Chico da Silva, was a Brazilian painter celebrated for his vivid depictions of Amazonian flora, fauna, and mythical creatures. Born in 1910 in Acre to an Indigenous Peruvian father and a Brazilian mother, he spent his early years immersed in the biodiversity of the rainforest before moving to Fortaleza, where he began creating murals on fishermen’s cottages using charcoal and natural pigments. Discovered in the 1940s by Swiss artist Jean-Pierre Chabloz, Chico transitioned to using gouache and canvas, developing his signature pointillist technique. His intricate, fantastical scenes — populated by dragons, serpents, and tropical landscapes — gained international recognition, leading to exhibitions in Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paris, and Switzerland.
Chico participated in major events such as the 33rd Venice Biennale (1966), where he received an honorable mention, and the São Paulo Biennial (1967). His work is held in important public collections, including the Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro and El Museo del Barrio in New York. Despite facing challenges later in life, Chico da Silva’s legacy has been revitalized through recent retrospectives, cementing his status as a key figure in Brazilian modern art and a visionary interpreter of Amazonian myth and imagination.