Livio Abramo
Encyclopedia
Livio Abramo was a Paraguayan sketcher, engraver, and aquarellist.
Abramo was born on June 23, 1903, in Araraquara
, Brazil
, to Italian parents. He described his father as a liberal and his paternal grandfather as an anarchist. Although born in Brazil
, he adopted Paraguay
as his nation and it was in this country that he produced much of his work.
In his book Etapas de un itinerario: grabados, dibujos, acuarelas de Livio Abramo (Phases of an Itinerary: Engraves, Drawing and Aquarelles From Livio Abramo) Abramo claimed that his artistic skills were entirely autodidactic, and that many of his creations were inspired by his political views.
, accompanied by his daughter Larissa. During this time he visited many European museums.
Abramo was a journalist for 33 years, and his political ideologies are expressed in his artistic work. He was very politically active; a trait which landed him in trouble on several occasions, with him spending some time in jail.
. Abramo was admired for his extraordinary humility, kindness, the integrity and clarity of his thoughts, and the thorough approach he employed in the training of many other artists. He was considered to be one of the renovators of the xylographic language of the 20th century.
His engravings can be found at the British Museum of London
, the Museum of the Vatican, the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of New York
, the Riverside Museum, the Philadelphia Museum, The National Library of the Louvre in Paris, the Modern Arts Museums of São Paulo and Río de Janeiro, and the Visual Arts Center in Asunción, as well as in numerous private collections.
Abramo was born on June 23, 1903, in Araraquara
Araraquara
Not to be confused with Araracuara, a town, region, genus of trees in ColombiaAraraquara is a city in the state of São Paulo in Brazil. It is also known as "the abode of the sun," because of its impressive sunset and because of its hazy temperature, especially in summer.More than 200,000 people...
, Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, to Italian parents. He described his father as a liberal and his paternal grandfather as an anarchist. Although born in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
, he adopted Paraguay
Paraguay
Paraguay , officially the Republic of Paraguay , is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to the east and northeast, and Bolivia to the northwest. Paraguay lies on both banks of the Paraguay River, which runs through the center of the...
as his nation and it was in this country that he produced much of his work.
In his book Etapas de un itinerario: grabados, dibujos, acuarelas de Livio Abramo (Phases of an Itinerary: Engraves, Drawing and Aquarelles From Livio Abramo) Abramo claimed that his artistic skills were entirely autodidactic, and that many of his creations were inspired by his political views.
Beginnings
After obtaining a major prize for his engravings in 1950, he travelled for almost two years in EuropeEurope
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, accompanied by his daughter Larissa. During this time he visited many European museums.
Abramo was a journalist for 33 years, and his political ideologies are expressed in his artistic work. He was very politically active; a trait which landed him in trouble on several occasions, with him spending some time in jail.
Work
Abramo followed the studies of Brazilian nature, known as Itapecerica, Campos de Jordão (Fields of Jordao), and others. Following this, he created the series Obrero (Worker) and Guerra civil española (Spanish Civil War). Years later, he produced the xylo-engrave series in 1948 to illustrate the book Pelo Sertão, written by Brazilian writer Alfonso Arinos.Career milestones
Following is a list of some important events during Abramo's career:- 1951: Had a special room at the First Biennial of Modern Art of São Paulo; also had a special room at the sixth edition of the event.
- 1956: Provided an individual exposition to the Modern Arts Museum of Río de Janeiro, and another at São Paulo.
- 1957: Founded the engraving workshop Julián de la Herrería in AsunciónAsunciónAsunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...
. - 1960: Along with engraver engraver María Bonomi, founded the Estudio Gravura at São Paulo.
- 1964: Moved permanently to Asunción, where he worked training Paraguayan artists.
- 1976: Made an introspective show at the São Paulo Biennial.
- 1978: Invited to repeat his previous retrospective by the Modern Arts Museum of Río de Janeiro.
- 1983: Made an exposition in the Cultural Center of São Paulo.
- 1990: The Lassar Segal Museum organizes a retrospective of his work.
Legacy
On April 26, 1992, a few months before turning 89 years old, he died in AsunciónAsunción
Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San...
. Abramo was admired for his extraordinary humility, kindness, the integrity and clarity of his thoughts, and the thorough approach he employed in the training of many other artists. He was considered to be one of the renovators of the xylographic language of the 20th century.
His engravings can be found at the British Museum of London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, the Museum of the Vatican, the Museum of Modern Art, the Metropolitan Museum of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, the Riverside Museum, the Philadelphia Museum, The National Library of the Louvre in Paris, the Modern Arts Museums of São Paulo and Río de Janeiro, and the Visual Arts Center in Asunción, as well as in numerous private collections.