The major exhibition “José Pedro Croft: reflexos, enclaves, desvios” ends next Monday, November 17, at the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil Rio de Janeiro. Curated by Luiz Camillo Osorio, the show occupies the first floor and the rotunda of CCBB RJ, featuring prints, drawings, sculptures, and installations that highlight the Portuguese artist’s extensive body of work.
The exhibition explores Croft’s ongoing research on body, scale, and architecture, and presents several pieces created especially for this venue. A highlight is the mirrored installation in the rotunda, designed to reflect the historic building’s architecture and create an illusion of depth and spatial inversion.
“José Pedro Croft is one of the leading Portuguese artists of the generation that emerged after the Carnation Revolution. His visual language is rooted in the materiality of form and space,” says curator Luiz Camillo Osorio.
Prints and sculptures in dialogue
The exhibition showcases the plastic power of prints and drawings, which interact with the optical complexity of the sculptures made of iron, glass, and mirrors. Croft regards printmaking as the foundation of his artistic process, often using proofs as bases for ink drawings that add texture and depth by hand.
Six sculptures are included in the exhibition, four of them created especially for this show. They establish a dialogue between the precision of engraving and the optical displacements of sculpture, addressing ideas of memory, instability, and reflection.
Exhibition route and highlights
The show is organized into thematic rooms. At the entrance, a large geometric sculpture interacts with red and black prints. Other sections feature small photogravures, glass sculptures, and vivid blue and red monochromes that reveal Croft’s meticulous manual process.
Throughout the route, visitors encounter works inspired by Russian Constructivism and American Minimalism, as well as large-scale drawings and engravings that emphasize sculptural gestures. Near the exit, two mirrored columns form a symbolic portal that closes the visit.
About the artist
José Pedro Croft was born in Porto in 1957 and lives in Lisbon. His work moves freely between sculpture, drawing, and printmaking. He represented Portugal at the 57th Venice Biennale (2017) and has exhibited at institutions such as MAM Rio, the Pinacoteca de São Paulo, and the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum.
Service
Exhibition: “José Pedro Croft: reflexos, enclaves, desvios” Until: November 17, 2025 Venue: Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil Rio de Janeiro (Rotunda and 1st floor) Hours: Wednesday to Monday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (closed Tuesdays) Admission: Free Curator: Luiz Camillo Osorio Info:bb.com.br/cultura
