From the Bienal de São Paulo to the museum: recognition, consecration and family relationships in the trajectory of the sculptor Felícia Leirner

Abstract

This article intends to analyze the professional trajectory of the immigrant sculptor Felícia Leirner (1904-1996) in the Brazilian arts system throughout the 20th century in Brazil, with emphasis on its second half. At first, it seeks to map the construction of her professional performance as a woman artist, from her learning in the techniques of sculpture, through her participation and awards in the Bienais de São Paulo, to the creation of the Museu Felícia Leirner. Next, the text analyzes this trajectory based on the artist's family relationships and how the members of the Leirner family contributed to mutual recognition and consecration in the Brazilian arts system. At the end, it is understood how the different positions of action in the various institutional spheres of the artistic environment exercised by a small related group directly impact the construction of the success of their trajectories.