Pedro Varela Contemporary Brazilian Artist and Visual Creator

Pedro Varela is a distinguished contemporary artist based in Petrópolis, Brazil, whose practice navigates the complex intersections of landscape, history, and collective memory. Born in Niterói in 1981, Varela graduated in Gravura from the Escola de Belas Artes at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. His artistic journey is characterized by a "remix" of iconographic references, where he reconstructs the concept of the tropical paradise through a lens that is both critical and celebratory. By employing a variety of techniques including painting, drawing, and intricate cut-paper installations, Pedro Varela builds what he describes as "floating landscapes"—utopian spaces filled with exotic flora and diverse cultural symbols. His work often utilizes non-traditional materials such as rice paper, ballpoint pens, and self-adhesive vinyl to create tactile, multi-layered compositions that challenge the viewer's perception of space and perspective. Pedro Varela has gained international recognition with exhibitions in major cities like Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Paris, Mexico City, and Doha. His art is represented in significant public and private collections, including the Museu de Arte do Rio and the Gilberto Chateaubriand Collection. Through his ongoing series and site-specific installations, Pedro Varela continues to explore the dialogue between the real and the imaginary, the digital and the analog, and historical archives and contemporary media. His role as a teacher at the Escola de Artes Visuais do Parque Lage further underscores his commitment to the development of visual thinking and contemporary art practices in Brazil.