Relaxo da Leoa, 2014
His direct, graphic, and often brutal interrogations of Brazilian society explore themes such as bestiality, prostitution and violence.
Miguel Rio Branco
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain, 1946
Lives and works in Rio de Janeiro
Artist Photo: © Isidora Gajic
Artwork Photo: Courtesy of Galería Milan
Artwork Photo: Courtesy of Galería Milan
Painter, photographer and filmmaker, Miguel Rio Branco had a varied childhood as the son of diplomats and grew up moving between Portugal, Switzerland, Brazil and the United States. However, fascinated by the power of tropical colours and drawn to places of strong contrast, it is Brazil that has dominated his work. After studying at the New York Institute of Photography and the Escola Superior de Desnho Industrial in Rio de Janeiro, Rio Branco’s work was first recognised for its dramatic use of colour. His direct, graphic, and often brutal interrogations of Brazilian society explore themes such as bestiality, prostitution and violence. Rio Branco’s exhibitions also function as installations, a concept that is crucial to his work, so that – without neglecting the importance of the single image – creating a discourse through images is the final aim.