Imprensa | Leca Araujo

“Leca was chosen as the winner of the Director General's award in 2020, and she incorporates very important elements of our identity in her art, not only the colors or the theme, but also, as the Director General mentioned, the idea of sustainability, women's empowerment, multi-ethnic society, diversity, that's what we are”.

Tovar da Silva Nunes, Ambassador of Brazil to the United Nations in Geneva, during the exhibition "Between Mind and Matter" at the UN Palace Geneva, 2022.

“Leca's work was absolutely outstanding. I chose the work called Maria Bertha, dedicated to the Brazilian Bertha Lutz, the only woman who signed the United Nations Charter in 1945, who really fought for women's rights. This painting was not only fantastic as a work of art, it was very important to us at the United Nations.”

Tatiana Valovaya, Director General of the United Nations Office in Geneva about the award given to the artist in the art competition for the 75th anniversary of the UN in 2020."

“The future, in all areas belongs to those who create, especially in the field of the arts where any novelty is particularly well received ...

Leca Araujo shows through her work, an originality and sensitivity that are noticeable ... Wish her to succeed ...”.

Patrick Laperoni, Art Collector, 2019.

“Cinquante ans après le principal mouvement féministe, il y a toujours une certaine invisibilité des femmes. L'inégalité des sexes demeure un problème et est à l'ordre du jour des forums de l'ONU, ceci de façon plus évidente encore dans les pays en développement.

Mais, bien que les sujets principaux des études statistiques soient la pauvreté, l’éducation, la violence, l’emploi des femmes et leur participation aux décisions, c’est de l’âme que veut nous parler l’artiste !

Une égalité politique ou sociale est parfois atteinte, mais plus rarement une égalité morale. Pour tenter de faire respecter leurs sentiments et leurs aspirations en tant que femmes, nous voyons différents mouvements féministes se battre sans vraiment toucher aux points essentiels. Et de ce fait, leur but n'est jamais vraiment atteint, et ils apportent seulement un surcroit de douleur et de frustration.

Nous voyons des femmes se débattre dans les ténèbres de leur âme, inconscientes de leur propre valeur en tant qu’être, et incapables d’associer leurs voix pour obtenir un changement. Ce que recherchent les femmes aujourd’hui, c’est à la fois le respect et la réparation du peu de place qui leur a été faite et en particulier l’espace pour exprimer leur âme.

Mais structurer ses sentiments et s’exprimer dans cette société n’est pas simple..."

Laurence Leroy, Curator for the projet « O Grito » of the Lyon Biennale Résonance, 2019.

“Leca Araujo est peintre et plasticienne. Le travail présenté au Lyceum est une réflexion sur des femmes d’exception. A travers des couleurs, de la matière et de la récupération elle nous plonge dans un monde où l’âme a sa place, où le respect et l’intelligence sont prédominants.

Cette année Leca a exposé dans le cadre de la Biennale de Venise. Elle a présenté quatre femmes brésiliennes aux parcours singuliers, mais qui ont marqué l’histoire de leur pays.

A Genève, pour la Biennale de Lyon, elle présente six autres femmes. Toutes des Maria Das Dores «femmes vertueuses, capables de souffrir pour une noble cause”.

Sophie Frezza, Responsible for integration and cultural activities at Université Ouvrière de Genève, 2019.

“The exhibition to be open today is a celebration of the Brazilian women. It is also a celebration of the women all over the world. It’s a celebration of their similarities, as well as their uniqueness.

If we don’t manage to make progress for man and women equally, we will simply not be able to achieve the strategies at all, because we would be leaving half of the human kind behind.

I’d like to thank ambassador Azevêdo to add some Brazilian colors to our gender activities here in this city, with this exhibition.

Thank you also to all colleagues of the permanent mission of Brazil for making this inspiring exhibition possible.

Ambassador Azevêdo has been carrying forward the good tradition of strong Brazilian women in the activism of multinational affairs”.

Michael Møller, Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva, during the exhibition "As Marias" in the UN Palace in Geneva in 2018.

متكرر تحيط به تنويعات من األلوان املبهجة، في إشارة لنصف السكان من العمالة الفقيرة. النساء ونصفهم من أصحاب البشرة السمراء، ولذا كانت كل اللوحات لوجه امرأة سمراء امرأة يحملن اسم ماريا في البرازيل التي يبلغ سكانها نحو مائتي مليون نصفهم من استضافه مقر األمم املتحدة بجنيف عاصمة الثقافة الفرانكفونية، في محبة نحو 12 مليون وفي البرازيل تتشابه األسماء واملآسي، وهي الفكرة الرئيسية ملعرض »مثل ماريا« الذي

يحملن االسم نفسه مع تنويعات في االسم امللحق. »ماريا« االسم األكثر شهرة في دول أمريكا الالتينية، إذ ال تخلو عائلة من عدة فتيات

تعددت اللوحات والوجه واحد 12 مليون ماريا.. النساء بالبرازيل، حيث تتعرض 57% للعنف. مواطنتها الفنانة التشكيلية املقيمة في جنيف ليكا أروخو، إللقاء الضوء على العنف ضد ظهر املعرض إلى النور بدعم امرأتني، حيث نظمته األولى إليسا مورادس، لتقديم الثانية

توسطته مائدة مصنوعة من إطارات السيارات تحيط بها مقاعد تعلوها قبعات تجفيف الشعر. ضم املعرض عشرين لوحة بجانب أعمال مركبة جمعت بني الرسم والتصوير والفيديو، كما

وجوارب األطفال. املتشابهة املختلفة مع تنويعات لونية ومواد معاد استخدامها كمفاتيح الكهرباء واألزرار من الورش الفنية بحضور النساء وأطفال املدارس في موطنها، إلنجاز عشرات اللوحات يأتي املعرض في إطار مشروع أكبر بدأ قبل سنوات بمبادرة من ليكا التي أشرفت على عدد

Amal Ewida, representative of the Egyptian newspaper Ahram, in Geneva, 2018

“It’s a great pleasure and honor, to open today, at the Geneva UN headquarters, with the presence of DG Møller, the exhibition As Marias, which display the work of the Brazilian artist Leca Araujo, here with us, who is not called Maria, but has a clear vision of the role and the importance of all Marias in Brazil and in the world. We are two Marias heading the Brazilian Mission in Geneva and we are both very happy and proud to support the work of Leca Araujo , which is committed to gender equality, social inclusion and sustainable development. And in particular, this one, dedicated to all Marias. Marias who are workers, mothers, daughters and sisters. Marias who battle daily to support their families and communities, cry and suffer, dare and care”.

Maria Luisa Escorel de Moraes, Ambassador and Deputy Permanent Representative for the Brazilian Mission during the exhibition "As Marias" in the UN Palace in Geneva, 2018.

“The series brings a curious perspective of Brazil, from a set of paintings and installations, gathered here. Starting from a stereotype described by a Brazilian novelist, Leca Araujo recreates different Brazilian female profiles, leading us to reflect on social and political aspects of Brazil.

The country has continental dimensions and very different and distant regions, but all inhabited by a creative, cheerful, hardworking people, united by language and solidarity, immersed in a peculiar environment characterized by its countless Marias, the basis of its social matrix.

In order to unite social themes and ecological balance, the artist uses different types of paints combined with recycled materials. And, hybridizing figure and background, especially through black-on-black, she addresses the question of similarity versus equality.

It is with this spirit that Leca recreates black, white, yellow, Marias, Clarices and Teresas as if they were all black and named Marias, purposely, to bring the Brazilian women into a common context and then speak of the beauty and differences of each one of them, which actually is not in the appearance but in the soul.

The series As Marias, thus synthesizes the belief that every human being is unique” !

Elisa Muradas, Curator for the exhibition "As Marias" at UN Geneva, 2018.

“We have many Marias in Brazil. Leca Araujo depicts some of them in her art. The good, the bad, the happy, the sad, the honored and the brave Marias. Each and all of them have a role in society that is very well described in Leca’s collection”.

Maria Nazareth Farani Azevêdo, Permanent Representative of Brazil to the United Nations Office in Geneva, 2017.

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