Chico da Silva: And the soul is for the birds

Saturday 6 June – Sunday 6 September 2026
Nottingham Contemporary
Free

Nottingham Contemporary are thrilled to present the first European institutional solo exhibition of the late self-taught Brazilian artist Francisco da Silva (1910–1985, Brazil), known as 'Chico da Silva,' or simply 'Chico'.

Chico's paintings were a glimpse into an immense non-hierarchical cosmology that was fuelled by the artist's own imagination, mythology and folklore. Depicting sea creatures swimming on the currents of outer space, and fantastical creatures vividly painted in hallucinatory battles or stretching their jaws agape to consume smaller creatures, Chico's works call attention to the interconnectedness of everything.

During his life, Chico's practice was subject to significant local and international fascination, though in international contexts it was often exoticised as 'primitive art'. Questions of authorship and authenticity following Chico's establishment of a collective studio practice, the Pirambu School, also divided opinions. The exhibition will present a selection of seminal paintings created throughout the artist's lifetime and will celebrate Chico's contribution and legacy to contemporary Indigenous art practice in Brazil.