Paulo Roberto Leal (1946–1991)

Was a key figure in post-neoconcrete Brazilian art, recognized for his investigations into the structure of painting and the language of abstraction. Born in Rio de Janeiro, he was associated with the generation that expanded the legacy of the neoconcrete movement into new conceptual and material territories.

Leal’s work frequently engages with the architecture of the pictorial plane—cutting, folding, sewing, and assembling surfaces in ways that challenge the conventions of traditional painting. His practice is marked by rigor, subtlety, and a poetic sensibility that aligns with the radical formalism of artists such as Lygia Clark and Hélio Oiticica, yet retains a voice distinctly his own.

His work is part of major Brazilian collections and has been featured in key exhibitions that map the evolution of Brazilian abstraction in the 20th century.