In Greek mythology, Athena is the deity of wisdom, intelligence, justice and the arts. Inspired by history and his passion for the arts, in 1994, Liecil Oliveira founded Athena Galeria de Arte with a main focus on Brazilian and international modern art. In parallel to the gallery, in 2011 Athena Contemporânea was inaugurated by their sons Eduardo and Filipe Masini with the main objective of providing a space for the creation, discussion and dissemination of contemporary art.

In 2018, the two galleries expanded their activities and merged to create Athena. With the inauguration of its new space in Rio de Janeiro, the gallery reinforced its interest in artistic and intellectual promotion on the national and international scene with memorable exhibitions. In addition to being an exhibition space, Athena positions itself as a place for research, conceptual deepening and artistic exchanges, assuming institutional partnerships and with the community, seeking the dissemination and promotion of art in Brazil.

To this end, it invests in the development of its artists' careers, activating their participation in public or private incentive cultural projects, public notices and art awards, artistic residencies and biennials.

Its participation in important national and international fairs also expands its network of contacts and catalyses other cultural projects, allowing the public to get closer to a portion of the work it develops, believing that in this way the works are no longer just objects and assume a character capable of touching and changing people and their surroundings.