Ricardo Homem presents his first solo exhibition, Beira Mar – Linhas Abertas
The exhibition will be on view at Alban Galeria starting August 20th
The use of color, almost always geometric forms, of the materiality of painting and spatial structuring as the core of research; these are the elements that define the work of Minas Gerais-born artist Ricardo Homem. With a career spanning more than 30 years in contemporary art and a portfolio that includes exhibitions across several Brazilian states, Homem presents his first solo exhibition in Bahia, Beira mar – Linhas Abertas, opening August 20th, 7:30pm, at Alban Galeria, in Ondina.
Painter and designer, Ricardo Homem attended Escola Guignard, an important art school in Belo Horizonte that has played a significant role in nurturing prominent artists in the Minas Gerais, Brazilian, and international art scenes. Throughout his career, he has participated in iconic exhibitions, such as Panorama do Desenho Atual (1990), at MAM/São Paulo and at Centro Cultural São Paulo, and the show BR/80 – Pintura Brasil Década de 80, at Instituto Itaú Cultural, in Belo Horizonte.
Among color schemes, monochromatic surfaces or surfaces marked by bold color contrasts, a geometry constructed "by hand", Ricardo Homem’s work stands out for softening the apparent rigidity of the forms. The visible brushstrokes and the subtle gaps between elements lend malleability to the compositions, bringing the paintings closer to a sensorial and intuitive experience. Although it dialogues with the tradition of geometric abstraction, Homem’s work follows its own path. As researcher and curator José Augusto Ribeiro, author of the exhibition’s critical text, observes: "What seems to define Ricardo Homen’s work is the internal logic of his creative process, at once constructive and intuitive, giving rise to concise and unstable compositions."
The artist himself explains that the geometry present in his works emerges from the interplay of forms, fittings, stripes, bands, squares and rectangles, in a game of colors that transcends mathematical logic and is intuitively constructed.
"I believe the work evolves, opening new possibilities and exploring new paths in a natural way. The object-paintings emerged from situations inherent to painting itself. Geometry, which both balances and destabilizes the gaze, takes on real volume, incorporating the surrounding space and the possibilities of installation, inviting the viewer to experience the work in new ways."
In this creative process, the use of colors acquires even greater importance. According to the artist, "these color masses irradiate an energetic field that touches the dreamlike, yet remain connected to the physical reality. It is a direct engagement with painting". At the same time, the works establish a playful and humorous relationship with the viewer.
"The works are structured through geometry, but they take on other meanings, including figurative ones, in the viewer’s imagination. Nicknames such as "abysses", "bird’s beak", "stick", and "colored pencil" emerge. With a touch of humor, they gradually find their place in the world."
The works
In the exhibition Beira Mar – Linhas Abertas, Ricardo Homem presents around 40 works, including paintings on canvas in different sizes and object-paintings that sometimes stand alone and, at other times, come together to form installations.
For the artist, presenting an exhibition in Bahia represents a particularly significant moment in his career. The exhibition gathers works produced over the past few years, revealing new approaches to his research and expanding the possibilities of his creative process.
"I come from Minas Gerais, a place where the landscape is vertical, abyssal, mountainous, where mystery hides. Coastal Baroque, with all its exuberance, manifests itself in different ways throughout Brazil, adapting beliefs, myths, and forms of religious expression. Bahia is a foundational place from which all of this emerges and takes on new forms: Bossa Nova with Caymmi and João Gilberto, minimalism in songwriting, Glauber Rocha’s Cinema Novo, and the Tropicalistas, who revisit the 1922 Week of Modern Art and mix everything together in a great melting pot without losing their roots. In Minas Gerais, we have the music of Clube da Esquina, which resonates with this spirit, as well as the sophisticated harmonies and sensitive geometry of Amílcar de Castro. My work draws nourishment from these sources, which come from both the classical and the popular traditions."
The artist Born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, in 1961, Ricardo Homen is a painter and designer. He attended the visual arts program at Escola Guignard in the 1980s. Homen has devoted himself to painting as an ongoing and vital experience within his artistic process, working with simplified and powerful forms. His career includes numerous group and solo exhibitions in Belo Horizonte, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasília, and Salvador, among them Panorama do Desenho Atual, at MAM/SP in 1990; Centro Cultural São Paulo in 1990, 1997, and 2003; and Mostra BR/80 – Pintura Brasil Década 80, at Instituto Itaú Cultural in Belo Horizonte, in 1991. He also exhibited his works at the Museu de Arte da Pampulha (MAP) in 1990; and, in 2002, Tangenciando Amilcar, Diálogos, in Porto Alegre. In 2009, he presented the exhibition Geometria Impura at Centro Cultural Hélio Oiticica in Rio de Janeiro, MAM Salvador, Palácio das Artes in Belo Horizonte, and in Recife. He also participated in the exhibition Anos 80 nos 80 anos, organized by Fundação Escola Guignard in Belo Horizonte. In 2025, he exhibited at the Museu da Inconfidência, in Ouro Preto.
Information
Exhibition: Beira Mar – Linhas Abertas / Ricardo Homem
Opening: August 20th, 2026, at 7:30 pm
Hours: August 21st, 2026 – October 10th, 2026
Monday–Friday, 10am to 7pm; Saturday, 10am to 1pm
Venue: Alban Galeria
Address: Rua Senta Pua, 53, Ondina
Tel.: +55 (71) 3241-3509 | +55 (71) 3016-8042 | +55 (71) 98152-5212
