Amílcar de Castro


Amílcar Augusto Pereira de Castro was a Brazilian artist, sculptor and graphic designer.

Early life and education

de Castro was born in Paraisópolis, Minas Gerais, Brazil, to a father who was a judge. He was the oldest of seven children.
de Castra was mentored by the Brazilian modernist painter Alberto da Veiga Guignard.

Career

Starting his career as a graphic designer, de Castro revolutionized the design of Brazilian newspapers in the 1950s, notably Jornal do Brasil.
From the 1960s he focused on sculpture and – alongside Lygia Clark, Ligia Pape and Helio Oiticica – was one of the leading figures of the Brazilian neo-constructivist movement.
De Castro is particularly famous for large, bold simple iron forms nearly always characterized by a design based on "one cut, one fold." His method can be linked both to his earlier work with graphic design and paper, and to the mining heritage of his home state of Minas Gerais.
De Castro did not just produce steel sculptures, he also used wood, marble and glass. Reflecting his training under Alberto de Guignard and his work as a graphic designer, he also produced thousands of graphic works, drawings prints and large scale paintings, as well as objects and jewelry.

Personal life

De Castro was married to Dorcilia Caldeira Castro. They had three children.
De Castro died in Belo Horizonte, Brazil on 21 November 2002.

Selected works