Carmélio Cruz (Canindé CE 1924)
Carmélio Cruz is a draftsman, set designer, costume designer and printmaker. Between 1935 and 1940, he worked with master Jacinto de Souza, from whom he received his first guidance in art. In 1944, he joined the Sociedade Cearense de Artes Plásticas (SCAP) [Ceará Society of Fine Arts], alongside Antonio Bandeira (1922 - 1967), Aldemir Martins (1922 - 2006) and other artists. In 1947, he moved to Rio de Janeiro, where he taught at the Associação Brasileira de Desenho [Brazilian Drawing Association] until 1950. Between 1959 and 1961, he served as director of the art department of TV Continental.
He held his first solo exhibition in 1951 at the Museu de Arte Moderna de Resende (MAM/Resende). In 1963, he produced the documentary O Fogo [The Fire] and designed the sets for the film Pluft, o Fantasminha [Pluft, the Little Ghost], receiving for this work the Saci Award from the newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo and the São Paulo State Governor's Prize.
Critiques
"Starting from some of Paul Klee's visual experiments, in recent years he has developed a sui generis painting, characterized by the happy marriage of two different, if not opposing, elements (...) A rhythmic, linear element, which invades the canvas and subdivides it into rhythmic segments, and a diffuse chromatic element, finding in his works 'poetic evocations of old walls, abandoned walls, moss-covered walls, and the melancholy of small country towns (...) with their humble huts rhythmically arranged in series'."
Theon Spanudis
PONTUAL, Roberto. Dicionário das artes plásticas no Brasil. Apresentação de Antônio Houaiss. Textos de Mário Barata et al. Rio de Janeiro: Civilização Brasileira, 1969.
Solo Exhibitions
1951 - Resende RJ - First solo exhibition, at MAM/Resende
1962 - São Paulo SP - Solo, at Galeria Vila Rica
1964 - São Paulo SP - Solo, at Galeria São Luís
1965 - São Paulo SP - Solo, at Galeria São Luís
1965 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Solo, at Galeria Goeldi
1973 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Solo, at Galeria da Praça
1974 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Solo, at Galeria da Praça
1977 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Solo, at Galeria Domus
1983 - São Paulo SP - Solo, at Tableau Artes Plásticas
1985 - Campinas SP - Solo, at Galeria Croqui
1986 - São Paulo SP - Solo, at Galeria Seta
1989 - Fortaleza CE - Carmélio Cruz: Da Cor da Luz do Sol [Carmélio Cruz: The Color of Sunlight], at Escritório de Arte do Ceará
Group Exhibitions
1946 - Fortaleza CE - 2nd Salão de Abril [April Salon]
1948 - Fortaleza CE - 4th Salão de Abril [April Salon]
1951 - São Paulo SP - 1st São Paulo International Biennial, at Pavilhão do Trianon
1953 - São Paulo SP - 2nd São Paulo International Biennial
1955 - São Paulo SP - 3rd São Paulo International Biennial, at Pavilhão das Nações
1955 - São Paulo SP - 4th São Paulo Salon of Modern Art, at Galeria Prestes Maia
1956 - São Paulo SP - 5th São Paulo Salon of Modern Art, at Galeria Prestes Maia - bronze medal
1957 - São Paulo SP - 6th São Paulo Salon of Modern Art, at Galeria Prestes Maia - acquisition prize
1958 - São Paulo SP - 47 Artistas do Prêmio Leirner de Arte Contemporânea [47 Artists of the Leirner Prize for Contemporary Art], at Galeria de Arte das Folhas
1958 - São Paulo SP - 7th São Paulo Salon of Modern Art, at Galeria Prestes Maia - acquisition prize
1959 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 8th National Salon of Modern Art
1959 - São Paulo SP - São Paulo Salon of Modern Art
1960 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 9th National Salon of Modern Art
1960 - São Paulo SP - São Paulo Salon of Modern Art
1961 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 10th National Salon of Modern Art
1961 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - Prêmio Formiplac [Formiplac Prize], at MAM/RJ
1961 - São Paulo SP - 10th São Paulo Salon of Modern Art, at Galeria Prestes Maia
1962 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 11th National Salon of Modern Art
1962 - São Paulo SP - 11th São Paulo Salon of Modern Art, at Galeria Prestes Maia - small silver medal
1963 - Rio de Janeiro RJ - 12th National Salon of Modern Art
1963 - São Paulo SP - 7th São Paulo International Biennial, at Fundação Bienal
1963 - São Paulo SP - São Paulo Salon of Modern Art
1964 - São Paulo SP - 13th São Paulo Salon of Modern Art - 1st State Government Prize
1965 - São Paulo SP - 8th São Paulo International Biennial, at Fundação Bienal - Itamaraty Prize for drawing
1967 - Frankfurt (Germany) - Desenhistas Brasileiros [Brazilian Draftsmen]
1967 - Madrid (Spain) - Desenhistas Brasileiros [Brazilian Draftsmen]
1967 - Rome (Italy) - Desenhistas Brasileiros [Brazilian Draftsmen]
1967 - São Paulo SP - 9th São Paulo International Biennial, at Fundação Bienal
1967 - Tel Aviv (Israel) - Desenhistas Brasileiros [Brazilian Draftsmen]
1968 - São Paulo SP - Exposição Internacional de Gravura [International Print Exhibition], at Faap
1968 - São Paulo SP - 17th São Paulo Salon of Modern Art
1970 - Chicago (United States) - Coletiva Chelsea de Arte Brasileira [Chelsea Group Show of Brazilian Art]
1970 - New York (United States) - Coletiva Chelsea de Arte Brasileira [Chelsea Group Show of Brazilian Art]
1979 - São Paulo SP - Coleção Theon Spanudis [Theon Spanudis Collection], at MAC/USP
1991 - Fortaleza CE - Scap: 50 Anos [Scap: 50 Years], at Imperial Othon Palace Hotel
1997 - São Paulo SP - A Cidade dos Artistas [The Artists' City], at MAC/USP
1999 - São Paulo SP - Cotidiano/Arte. O Consumo [Everyday Life/Art. Consumption], at Itaú Cultural
2000 - São Paulo SP - Brasil + 500 Mostra do Redescobrimento [Brazil + 500 Rediscovery Exhibition], at Fundação Bienal
Source: Itaú Cultural
