Rubens Ianelli is no stranger to the Cuban art scene. In April 2013, he held an exhibition in Havana at the Luz y Oficios Gallery, part of the Provincial Center for Visual Arts and Design. Dayalis González, then director of the Provincial Council for Visual Arts in Havana, wrote the exhibition’s review, commenting on his artistic motivations and interests, while offering a brief formal analysis of his work. True to his connection with Cuba, Ianelli later attended the opening of Cuban Art from Both Shores in São Paulo. Through Alexis Iglesias—a Cuban participant in the show—he was introduced to several members of the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas (MoCAA) Board who were present at the event. Within minutes, a studio visit was scheduled.
As part of its mission to broaden the reach and diversity of its collection, the leadership of the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas—Leonardo Rodríguez, General Director, and Ivonne Ferrer, Deputy Director, Director of the Fine Arts Ceramic Center, artist, and participant in the Cuban exhibition—visited Ianelli’s studio in São Paulo on Thursday, April 3rd. Rubens, notably, is the son of acclaimed painter Arcangelo Ianelli and nephew of watercolorist Thomaz Ianelli—two pivotal figures of Brazilian modern art with distinct yet influential visual languages. This legacy places Rubens within a family deeply rooted in Brazil’s visual culture.
Having grown up immersed in the atmosphere of the studio and surrounded by visual expression, Rubens absorbed the artistic discipline from a young age. His early years were marked by frequent travel throughout Brazil, and at age 14 he accompanied his father to Rome for an exhibition—an experience that sparked a life of continued artistic and cultural journeys. He later studied medicine, participated in the Mexico Biennial in 1991, and traveled extensively by road across Latin America.
Rubens began his artistic career with gouache and oil paintings, gaining particular recognition during his geometric period, which earned him awards at modern and contemporary art salons. His prolific trajectory reveals an exquisite sensitivity, a classical humanism, and a cultivated cultural perspective enriched by his extensive travels. He currently lives and works in Brazil, where he also practices medicine among Indigenous communities throughout the country and other regions of South America. These encounters with virtually untouched cultures have likely influenced the evolution of his graphic language—marked by geometric forms and undulating lines—while also drawing from the traditions of vernacular design. Beyond his artistic practice, he has played a vital role in preserving and promoting the legacy of his father. After Arcangelo’s passing, Rubens and his sister Katia undertook the meticulous stewardship of his archive, documents, and body of work.
Fortunately, time was no obstacle during the studio visit, allowing Ianelli to share a significant selection of pieces from his collection. A rich dialogue emerged around his work, touching on parallels with other artists in the hemisphere who share similar aesthetic and conceptual concerns, and—most importantly—the possibility of initiating a collaboration with the Museum of Contemporary Art of the Americas. Should this project move forward, Ianelli would not be the first Brazilian artist to exhibit in MoCAA’s main gallery. On the afternoon of Friday, May 10th, in collaboration with SECULT—the Secretary of Culture of the State of Goiás in Brazil—the exhibition A Sangue no Alguidá was inaugurated at the Museum. This dual presentation brought together the renowned Brazilian artist Gerson Fogaça and Cuban writer Pedro Juan Gutiérrez. Among the many artists and friends from South Florida’s cultural community, His Excellency Mr. José Renato Ruy Ferreira, Deputy Consul and Head of the Education and Culture Sector of the Brazilian Consulate, was in attendance.
The inclusion of Rubens Ianelli’s work in the MoCAA’s programming would represent a valuable expansion of the Latin American artistic dialogue from a contemporary Brazilian perspective. His geometric and abstract visual language—charged with symbolic and cultural depth—would create new connections with other movements represented in the museum’s collection while enhancing its geographic and aesthetic diversity. This incorporation would further reinforce MoCAA’s pluralistic spirit, opening new channels of engagement with diverse audiences and reaffirming its role as an inclusive platform for the many voices of art across the Americas.
