Kennedy Bahia (Chile 1929, Bahia 2005)
Kennedy Bahia was one of the pioneers in the expansion of the fine arts in the state and became known for its cheerful tapestries and colored, in addition to the paintings and engravings of beautiful mulatto women.
In the 60s and 70s, Kennedy Bahia, who was a good friend of the writer Jorge Amado and also the plastic artist Caribé, was considered the greatest tapestry artist in Brazil, having his Collection Fauna and Flora da Bahia, 1973, appreciated by collectors from around the world.
The artist also contributed to the dissemination of Bahian culture, including adopting the name of the state and disseminating information about Bahia in all the countries where he traveled with his Works.
Born Patrick Maderos Kennedy Dito, in 1929, in Valparaiso - Chile, Kennedy Bahia was a mining engineer in his country. He came into contact with the exoticism of Brazilian fauna and flora for the first time when he went to work in the Amazon region, first in the exploration of gold in the Bolivian jungle and then, already in Brazilian territory, in Alto Tapajós - Amazonas.
Convalescing from a Malaria, the Chilean engineer started his activity as a upholsterer. The impressions of the jungle, however, never left his mind and his works are characterized by the use of the Amazonian fauna and flora. When moving to Bahia, in the 1960s, he also started to include folk motives of Afro-Bahian culture in his works.
Source: International Institute of Naif Art
