Ana Maria Pacheco facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ana Maria Pacheco
Pacheco working on a polychrome sculpture
Born	1943 (age 81–82) Goiânia, Brazil
Known for	Sculpture, Painting, Printmaking

Ana Maria Pacheco (born 1943) is a talented artist from Brazil. She creates amazing sculptures, paintings, and prints. Her art often tells stories and explores magical or mysterious themes, inspired by her Brazilian background. Her work has been shown in galleries all over the world, and she has won many awards.

Her Early Life and Studies

Ana Maria Pacheco was born in Goiás, Brazil in 1943. She studied sculpture and music at universities in Brazil. Later, she completed a special course in music and education in Rio de Janeiro.

Pacheco taught at these universities for a while. In 1973, she moved to London to study art further. She received a special scholarship to attend the Slade School of Art. From 1985 to 1989, she became the first woman to lead the fine art department at the Norwich School of Art.

She has received several important honors. In 1999, the Brazilian government gave her the Ordem de Rio Branco. In 2002, she received an honorary Doctor of Philosophy degree from the University of East Anglia. She was also made a Fellow of University College London in 2003.

Her Amazing Art

Pacheco's artwork often explores ideas of travel and adventure. She includes themes of fantasy and the supernatural. For example, she uses ideas from Brazilian legends, ancient mythology, and Christian mysticism. Her art also sometimes uses medieval satire, which is a way of making fun of society.

Her artworks tell stories that viewers discover as they look. She wants her art to make people curious and use their imagination. Pacheco says her art shows "how vulnerable we are," meaning it helps us understand human weaknesses. She also says that a famous Brazilian sculptor named O Aleijadinho is her biggest inspiration.

Pacheco is most famous for her large groups of sculptures. These are carved from wood and then painted with many colors. This style is called "polychrome." These sculptures are often shown as "installation pieces." This means they are arranged in a specific way in a space to create an experience for the viewer.

Famous Sculptures and Exhibitions

Two well-known works are Man and his Sheep at the Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery. Another is Dark Night of the Soul (1999). She created this piece while working at the National Gallery, London. It was her artistic response to an older painting called The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian.

In 1986, Pacheco also created a large yellow limestone figure. This was for the National Garden Festival in Stoke-on-Trent.

Pacheco was the first sculptor to be an "Associate Artist" at the National Gallery in London. This was from 1997 to 2000. Her exhibition, Ana Maria Pacheco: New Painting and Sculpture, was shown there. After that, it traveled to other places in the UK.

In 2015, Pacheco's art was shown in four different exhibitions at the same time in Norwich. These shows were at places like the Norwich University of the Arts, Norwich Cathedral, and Norwich Castle Museum & Art Gallery. A curator named Keith Roberts said that her art deals with big themes like "violence, journeys, death, love, transformation." He also noted that her work has humor.

Another exhibition called Dispersing the Night featured Pacheco's work at Salisbury Cathedral in 2017. Her sculpture Be Aware was shown there for the first time. The curator, Jacquiline Creswell, explained that the exhibition's theme was hope. She said Pacheco's art helps us think about our human journey and how we deal with life's challenges.

Awards and Special Recognitions

Ana Maria Pacheco has received many awards and special appointments throughout her career.

• First Prize, Goiás Biennale, Brazil, 1970. She was chosen to represent Brazil at the São Paulo Biennale.
• British Council Scholarship to the Slade School of Fine Art, London, 1973.
• Head of Fine Art, Norwich School of Art, 1985-1989.
• Invited to Burgdorfer Bildhauer-Symposion, Switzerland, 1986.
• Appointed fourth Associate Artist, National Gallery London, 1997-2000.
• Ordem do Rio Branco from the Brazilian Government, 1999.
• Honorary Doctorate from the University of East Anglia, 2002.
• Honorary Doctorate from the Norwich University of the Arts, 2002.
• Fellow of University College London, 2003.
• Comenda do Anhanguera from the State of Goiás, Brazil, 2012.
• Mário Pedrosa Award for Contemporary Artist from the Brazilian Association of Art Critics, 2015.