Tunga

He studied architecture at the University of Santa Úrsula in Rio de Janeiro. He began his journey into the art world in the 1970s, influenced by Hélio Oiticica and Lygia Clark. His early works in sculpture draw from Robert Morris and Joseph Beuys, creating pieces from felt, rubber, and leather. Other constant references in his work include the surrealistic writings of Breton and the works of Edgar Allan Poe. Tunga is primarily a sculptor, but he also engages in performance, video, photography, and essays, often through pamphlets that complement some of his sculptures. In his work, there is a constant link between the banal and the horrifying. One of his most well-known works is "Palíndromo Incesto" from 1990, consisting of three enormous metal thimbles covered in various materials. The materials he most commonly uses in his sculptures and installations are magnets, iron, copper, and glass. Tunga's intent with his installations is to impact the viewer, eliciting a series of reactions. He has participated in the Venice Biennale in 1995 and 2001, Documenta in 1997, and the São Paulo Biennale in 1981. Currently, he works and lives in Rio de Janeiro.