<Floresta virgem em lilás e azul>

Beatriz Milhazes’ work draws on a mosaic of references from Brazilian modernism, Carioca culture, traditional crafts, and Henri Matisse’s gouache paper cutouts. Floresta virgem em lilás e azul [Virgin Forest in Lila and Blue] unfolds like an abstract frieze, layering colours, circular shapes, and stylised plants. The meticulously worked surface of the painting is inspired by the tropical vegetation at the edge of the rainforest near the artist’s studio in Rio de Janeiro.