Edu de Barros Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, b. 1992

Edu de Barros (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1992) is an artist whose pictorial practice stands out for its fusion of Christian symbolism, esoteric references and elements of contemporary urban culture. His large-scale figurative paintings present a hybrid iconography, where the sacred and the profane intertwine: deities, everyday objects and scenes of urban life compose a visual universe that reflects his experience in Rio de Janeiro.

Since 2017, as the founder of Anoiva – Igreja do Reino da Arte, Edu has transformed artistic practice into an ongoing ritual, performing daily liturgies in his studio-temple. His work is permeated by an intentional ambiguity that challenges social conventions and religious structures, proposing a heterogeneous, anarchic iconography open to multiple interpretations. By bringing the space of aesthetic contemplation closer to that of spiritual experience, Edu reimagines the role of art as an expanded field of faith and transcendence.

His main solo exhibitions are: Repartição - Galeria Jaqueline Martins - São Paulo, Brazil (2023); Terra Encantada - Homesession - Barcelona, ​​Spain (2023); Repartição - Galeria Refresco - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2022); CROPPED - Sé Galeria - São Paulo, Brazil (2020).

Recent group exhibitions include Apocalypse - Casa França-Brasil - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2024); O que te faz olhar para o céu - Centro Cultural Correios - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2024); Bronze Noturno - Galeria Refresco - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2024); Larguem minha fantasia - Galeria Asfalto - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2023); Máscara, maré, memória - Lima Galeria - São Luís, Brazil (2023); Zil, Zil, Zil - Centro Municipal de Artes Helio Oiticica - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2022); Essa é Minha Letra (Lima Barreto) - Museu da História e da Cultura Afro-Brasileira (MUHCAB) - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2022); Crônicas Cariocas - Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR) - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2021); Arte Core 21 - Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro (MAM-Rio) - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2021); O Canto do Bode - Casa de Cultura da Comporta - Comporta, Portugal (2021); Casas Cariocas – Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR) - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (2020); The Land of No Evil - Offshoot Gallery - London, United Kingdom (2019).