The exhibition "Poty, the Narrator" reveals to the public a cross-section of the vast collection of works by Poty Lazzarotto (1924-1998), an artist from Paraná whose work is part of the collection of the Oscar Niemeyer Museum (MON). In his drawings and prints, Poty creates a world where everyday life is turned into a visual epic. His gaze ranges from the streets of his native Curitiba to the landscapes of the Xingu, where he spent a season immersed in indigenous culture.

Since childhood, Poty's line has already announced the power of his graphic narrative. In 1942, he entered the National School of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro, where he was initiated into the world of engraving by Carlos Oswald. Graduating in 1946, he received a scholarship to the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Returning to Brazil in 1948, Poty dedicated himself not only to creation, but also to artistic training: in 1950, he organized the first engraving course at the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP) and taught courses in Bahia, Recife and Curitiba.

From the 1950s onwards, his art expanded monumentally into the public space, through mural projects. His most emblematic works include: "The Historical Development of Paraná" (1953), the mural for the Guaíra Theater (1969) and the mural for the Latin America Memorial in São Paulo (1988).

A sensitive narrator, Poty moves naturally between the sacred and the profane, between celebration and work, composing in each line a visual chronicle of deep Brazil. His work is, first and foremost, a gesture of listening - to time, the land and the people - which becomes a trace.

The Oscar Niemeyer Museum has been given the responsibility of storing and preserving Poty Lazzarotto's precious legacy, and has become a reference point for the work of this brilliant Brazilian artist. One of its missions now is to push the boundaries and make his work reach an ever larger and more diverse audience.

MON is holding the exhibition "Poty, the Narrator" in São Paulo, at the White Box of the Rosewood. Curated by Juliane Fuganti and Marc Pottier, it is an excerpt from the collection of more than 4,000 works by the artist that make up MON's permanent collection.

Having been given the responsibility of guarding and preserving Poty Lazzarotto's precious legacy, the Oscar Niemeyer Museum (MON) has become a reference point for the work of this brilliant Brazilian artist.

One of our missions now is to go beyond regional boundaries, to present Poty in his universal dimension and make his work reach an ever larger and more diverse audience.

Being in a space that is a reference for art, architecture and design, with impeccable curation, such as Rosewood, is recognition of the importance that MON's collection has acquired, especially in recent years.

On March 29, Curitiba's birthday - and, coincidentally, the birth date of the artist Poty Lazzarotto - MON received the largest collection ever donated to the institution: approximately 4,500 items. The year was 2022.

Since then, MON has become the guardian of the works, but also the facilitator of access to them. This collection includes more than 3,000 drawings and 366 engravings, as well as tapestries, carvings, serigraphs and sculptures, among others. The donation was made directly by the artist's brother, João Lazzarotto.

These are works that further enrich MON's collection, which has grown fivefold in recent years and currently has approximately 14,000 works of art, housed in a space of more than 35,000 square meters, making MON the largest art museum in Latin America.

Juliana Vellozo Almeida Vosnika
CEO of the Oscar Niemeyer Museum

Silkscreen on paper , 80x50cm 
Oscar Niemeyer Museum Collection - Donation João Lazarotto

Etching and ink on paper , 80x50cm
Oscar Niemeyer Museum Collection - Donation João Lazarotto

Etching and ink on paper , 80x50 cm 
Oscar Niemeyer Museum Collection - Donation João Lazarotto

Water ink on paper, 80x50 cm 
Oscar Niemeyer Museum Collection - Donation João Lazarotto

Study for the illustration of Grande Sertão Veredas, 1969

Rosewood - White Box - Complexo Matarazzo 
Rua Itapeva, 435 - Bela Vista, São Paulo SP 

MON holds Poty Lazzarotto exhibition at Rosewood in São Paulo

The Oscar Niemeyer Museum (MON) is holding an exhibition in São Paulo of works by Curitiba artist Poty Lazzarotto (1924-1998) that belong to MON's collection. The exhibition "Poty, o Narrador" can be seen in the White Box at the Rosewood Hotel from June 4. Curated by Juliane Fuganti and Marc Pottier, it is an excerpt from the collection of more than 4,000 works by the artist that make up MON's permanent collection.

"Having been given the responsibility of guarding and preserving Poty Lazzarotto's precious legacy, the MON has become a place of reference in relation to the work of this brilliant Brazilian artist," says MON director Juliana Vosnika. "One of our missions now is to go beyond regional boundaries, to present Poty in his universal dimension and make his work reach an ever larger and more diverse audience," he says.

Espaço Rosewood, in the Matarazzo Complex, emphasizes the preservation of Brazil's cultural heritage. The venue has a permanent collection of works by Brazilian artists, celebrating the country's art and creativity. 

"Being in a space that is a reference for art, architecture and design, with impeccable curatorship, is recognition of the importance that MON's collection has acquired, especially in recent years," says Juliana.

In his drawings and prints, Poty travels from the streets of Curitiba to the landscapes of the Xingu, where he spent a period immersed in indigenous culture. Since childhood, Poty's line has already announced the power of his graphic narrative. In 1942, he entered the National School of Fine Arts in Rio de Janeiro, where he was initiated into the world of engraving by Carlos Oswald. Graduating in 1946, he received a scholarship to the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. Returning to Brazil in 1948, Poty dedicated himself not only to creation, but also to artistic training: in 1950, he organized the first engraving course at the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP) and taught courses in Bahia, Recife and Curitiba.
From the 1950s onwards, his art expanded monumentally into the public space through mural projects. His most emblematic works include: "The Historical Development of Paraná" (1953), the mural for the Guaíra Theater (1969) and the mural for the Latin America Memorial in São Paulo (1988).
"A sensitive narrator, Poty moves naturally between the sacred and the profane, between celebration and work, composing in each line a visual chronicle of deep Brazil. His work is, above all, a gesture of listening - to time, to the land and to people - which becomes a trace," says curator Juliane Fuganti.

On March 29, 2022, Curitiba's birthday - and, coincidentally, the birth date of the artist Poty Lazzarotto - MON received the largest collection ever donated to the institution: approximately 4,500 pieces. 

This collection includes more than 3,000 drawings and 366 engravings, as well as tapestries, carvings, serigraphs and sculptures, among others. The donation was made directly by the artist's brother, João Lazzarotto.

These works further enrich MON's collection, which has grown fivefold in recent years, consolidating the museum as one of the most important in Latin America. 

Poty Lazzarotto (Curitiba, 1924-1998) began his career in drawing and then delved into printmaking, where he became a master, creating the first printmaking course at the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP). Much of his work is biographical, ranging from childhood memories of train tracks and wagons to records of people from Curitiba and the scenery they inhabit.

Poty is direct and straightforward in his drawings and prints. It was with this spontaneous characteristic that he illustrated several works of Brazilian literature, such as Os sertões, by Euclides da Cunha, and Grande Sertão:. Veredas, by Guimarães Rosa. Nor could he fail to bring to life the controversial Curitiba residents portrayed in the short stories of another icon from Paraná, Dalton Trevisan. 

As if his presence in literature were not enough, Poty left his mark throughout the city of Curitiba through his monuments or panels of tiles and exposed concrete, a practice that began with the panel “Historical Development of Paraná”, from 1953, in Praça 19 de Dezembro. Other examples of this production are the panels on the Nestor de Castro street, in which he shows, on the one hand, the scene of a Curitiba that no longer exists, and, on the other, the evolution of the city, which arose in the middle of the pine forest, inhabited by immigrants, and which stands out in the field of urbanism. 

Donated to the Oscar Niemeyer Museum, the collection covers all of this production. In it we can find originals so often reproduced in books and other publications about the artist, we come into contact with the drawings he made on his expedition to the Xingu in 1967, and we enter into the intimacy of an almost unknown Poty. In addition, we still find sketches, projects and studies, and we can see the evolution of his work, from his youth to his maturity. In this way, the collection is an actual ethnographic material about the artist. 

The collection is also made up, of course, of finished works, drawings, woodcuts, lithographs, metal engravings, wood carvings and concrete blocks: thousands of pieces that give clear testimony to the artist's versatility. Through Poty, we learn about the art that has been made and is being made in Paraná. 

Preserving not only this artist's legacy, but also his memory, is first and foremost a duty - a task that the Oscar Niemeyer Museum has taken on and adequately carried out.

Poty - O Narrador (SP)

Life in Black and White: Poty's drawings

With strokes of ink, charcoal, shadow and hatching: this is how this selection of drawings shows the pages of life in the hands of Poty Lazzarotto. Here there is only room for the luminosity of white and the rawness of black to express feelings and emotions. 

Through these drawings, we follow the almost always inevitable stages in the existence of the common man, but also the path of those who go off the rails, the eccentrics, the sinners or transgressors, those who lose their way. The lack of color accompanies Poty's strokes, which are brief and synthetic, but also expressive and allow you to quickly capture the essence of the character.

This exhibition at the Mirtillo Trombini Institute is a selection from the Poty Lazzarotto Collection at the Oscar Niemeyer Museum. The drawings on display here cover Poty's entire career, from his youth to his final years; they are studies for engravings and illustrations, or simply drawings to record everyday life, without any further pretensions, as this artist, who was also a chronicler of his time, liked so much.  

The Oscar Niemeyer Museum has been given the responsibility of storing and preserving Poty Lazzarotto's precious legacy, and has become a reference point for the work of this brilliant Brazilian artist. One of its missions now is to push the boundaries and make his work reach an ever larger and more diverse audience.

MON is holding in Morretes the exhibition "Life in Black and White: Drawings by Poty", at the Mirtillo Trombini Institute. Curated by Ricardo Freire, it is an excerpt from the collection of more than 4,000 works by the artist that make up MON's permanent collection.

Having been given the responsibility of guarding and preserving Poty Lazzarotto's precious legacy, the Oscar Niemeyer Museum (MON) has become a place of reference for this brilliant Brazilian artist.

One of our missions now is to push the boundaries and make his work reach an ever larger and more diverse audience.

On March 29, Curitiba's birthday - and, coincidentally, the birth date of the artist Poty Lazzarotto - MON received the largest collection ever donated to the institution: approximately 4,500 pieces. The year was 2022.

Since then, MON has facilitated access to the works and is the guardian of the collection, which includes more than 3,000 drawings and 366 engravings, as well as tapestries, carvings, serigraphs and sculptures, among others.

India ink on paper, 32,6x23,9cm
Oscar Niemeyer Museum Collection - Poty Lazzarotto Collection | Donation - João Lazzarotto

India ink on paper, 24x16,4cm
Oscar Niemeyer Museum Collection - Poty Lazzarotto Collection | Donation - João Lazzarotto

India ink on paper, 24,7x17,3cm
Oscar Niemeyer Museum Collection - Poty Lazzarotto Collection | Donation - João Lazzarotto

India ink on paper, 23,9x16,8cm
Oscar Niemeyer Museum Collection - Poty Lazzarotto Collection | Donation - João Lazzarotto

India ink on paper, 17,8x27,2cm
Oscar Niemeyer Museum Collection - Poty Lazzarotto Collection | Donation - João Lazzarotto

Instituto Mirtillo Trombini
Largo Lamenha Lins, 66 - Centro, Morretes - PR
Thursday to Sunday and holidays from 11am to 5pm

The Oscar Niemeyer Museum (MON) is holding the exhibition “Life in Black and White: Drawings by Poty” in Morretes, on the coast of Paraná, curated by Ricardo Freire. It is a selection of 50 drawings that are part of the more than 4,000 works by the artist that are part of MON's permanent collection. The exhibition can be seen from June 13 at the Mirtillo Trombini Institute

“Poty Lazzarotto is one of the greatest names in Brazilian art, and his work carries the identity of Paraná in every stroke. Taking this collection to different regions of the state is a way of democratizing access to art, strengthening the sense of belonging and valuing local culture. It is our commitment to ensure that Poty's legacy goes beyond the walls of museums and reaches as many people as possible,” says the Secretary of State for Culture, Luciana Casagrande Pereira.

“Having been given the responsibility of guarding and preserving Poty Lazzarotto's precious legacy, the Oscar Niemeyer Museum has become a place of reference for this brilliant Brazilian artist,” says MON's director-president, Juliana Vosnika. “One of our missions now is to push the boundaries and make his work reach an ever larger and more diverse audience,” she says.

With strokes of ink, charcoal, shadow and hatching, this selection shows the pages of life in the hands of Poty Lazzarotto. “Through these drawings, we follow the almost always inevitable stages in the existence of the common man, but also the path of those who go outside the curve, the eccentrics, the sinners or transgressors, those who lose their way,” explains the curator. 

The lack of color accompanies Poty's strokes, which are brief and synthetic, but also expressive and allow you to quickly capture the essence of the character. The drawings cover the artist's entire career, from his youth to recent times. They are studies for prints and illustrations or simply drawings to record everyday life.

On March 29, 2022, Curitiba's birthday - and, coincidentally, the birth date of the artist Poty Lazzarotto - MON received the largest collection ever donated to the institution: approximately 4,500 pieces. 

This collection includes more than 3,000 drawings and 366 prints, as well as tapestries, carvings, serigraphs and sculptures, among others. The donation was made directly by the artist's brother, João Lazzarotto.

These works further enrich MON's collection, which has grown fivefold in recent years, consolidating the museum as one of the most important in Latin America. 

Poty Lazzarotto (Curitiba, 1924-1998) began his career in drawing and then delved into printmaking, where he became a master and was the creator of the first printmaking course at the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP). Much of his work is biographical, ranging from childhood memories of train tracks and wagons to records of people from Curitiba and the scenery they inhabit.

Poty is direct and straightforward in his drawings and prints. It was with this spontaneous characteristic that he illustrated various works of Brazilian literature, such as Os sertões, by Euclides da Cunha, and Grande Sertão: Veredas, by Guimarães Rosa. Nor could he have failed to bring to life the controversial Curitibanos portrayed in the short stories of another icon from Paraná, Dalton Trevisan. 

As well as his presence in literature, Poty left his mark all over Curitiba through his monuments or tile and exposed concrete panels, a practice that began with the 1953 panel “Historical Development of Paraná” in Praça 19 de Dezembro. Other examples of this production are the panels on Travessa Nestor de Castro, in which he shows, on the one hand, the scene of a Curitiba that no longer exists, and, on the other, the evolution of the city, which arose in the middle of the pine forest, inhabited by immigrants, and which stands out in the field of urbanism. 

Donated to the Oscar Niemeyer Museum, the collection covers his entire output. In it we can find originals often reproduced in books and other publications about the artist, we come into contact with the drawings he made on his expedition to the Xingu in 1967, and we enter the intimacy of an almost unknown Poty. In addition, we still find sketches, projects and studies, and we can see the evolution of his work, from his youth to his maturity. In this way, the collection constitutes real ethnographic material about the artist. 

The collection is also made up, of course, of finished works, drawings, woodcuts, lithographs, metal engravings, wood carvings and concrete blocks: thousands of pieces that bear clear witness to the artist's versatility. Through Poty, we learn about the art that has been made and is being made in Paraná. 

Preserving not only this artist's legacy, but also his memory, is above all a duty - a task that the Oscar Niemeyer Museum has taken on and adequately carried out.

MON holds exhibition of its permanent Poty Lazzarotto collection in Morretes

Life in Black and White: Drawings by Poty

MON is alongside major museums in Brazil and around the world on the Google Arts & Culture platform. Visit our exhibitions in virtual format. Find out more about this exhibition on the Google Arts & Culture platform.

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