Antonio Dias

Art Brokerage: Antonio Dias Brazilian Artist: b. 1944. Among the leading contemporary artists in his native Brazil, Antonio Dias has been ranging across media since the 1960s, producing conceptual works through which he critiques politics and political oppression, society, and the art market. Intentionally impossible to categorize neatly, his work bears influences from varied artistic movements, including Pop Art and Minimalism. Dias gained recognition in the 1960s with his lush drawings and assemblages full of ironically playful critique of Brazilian social structures and the military dictatorship that had recently forced itself into power. In 1966, with his country in the grip of authoritarian rule, Dias moved to Italy, where he spent the next decade creating a body of work grounded in formal rigor and offering open-ended reflections on sex, the self, art, and politics—themes that continue to drive his quietly challenging work.