Luiz Bhittencourt

Born in 1972 in São José dos Campos, São Paulo, Brazil, Luiz Bhittencourt graduated in business administration and started working in events organization. He interrupted this activity when, in 1998, his mother fell ill, and the hospital treatment absorbed him completely. During this period, he has a dream, which demands to be materialized by painting: Luiz Bhittencourt then seeks the artist Luciana Melo to study. From this moment on, he dedicates himself exclusively to painting. Invited, in 2004, he exhibits his first works in the Labor Court of São José dos Campos: it is the series "Religiosa" (Religious), which, dealing with biblical passages, marks him deeply. He begins to work exclusively in the studio of his house.

The search for God, which accompanies him since childhood, intensifies, which leads him to join, in 2006, the Order of St. Benedict in search of contemplation as a postulant to the consecrated life of Benedictine monk, without having to renounce the artistic activity. Thus arise the series "Monastery" and "Inspiration in Iconography", which deal with aspects of faith and mysticism. Conflicts on the religious and artistic plan lead the artist to definitively withdraw from the monastic life in 2011. Before, however, he produces the series "Consecrated": from 2010, this one is produced in the monastery, aiming to make explicit the spirituality and its works.

The artist's series "Angels", which, having always on the horizon the search for God, figures the beings that support the spiritual search in his vision. In 2013 with the support of the couple of friends Ana Claudia and Antonio Carlos embarks to Spain, where he makes a home in a new phase of work, living between Spain and France. Period that the artist calls "gray in his art" and where he portrays the series "Refugees" tense moment in Europe with constant arrivals of refugees from Africa and Syria. On this occasion he holds a solo exhibition in Barcelona, Spain of this new series, where in all work predominates the gray in his art.

In 2015 he returns to Brazil and settles in Brasilia with his studio in search of new inspirations. Taking a sabbatical period between 2016 and 2017 transfers his atelier in 2018 to the tourist resort of Ribeirão Pires, São Paulo and with the support of the patron Edison Ribeiro returns with his art in the series "Windows and Perception" in a questioning of his own perception of life. Holding two important exhibitions, being, one in São Paulo and another in his hometown of São José dos Campos, in the Vale do Paraíba region, São Paulo, marking his return with painting after a sabbatical period.

In the same year 2018 he inaugurates the second version of the social project IFC - Instituto Frutos de Criação, maintained with his art and with the support of some friends, aimed at children and teenagers in the cultural and artistic area. Luiz Bhittencourt's work can be found in private collections in not a few countries. He has as amateurs the most distinct sectors of society, being collected by jurists, diplomats, religious, businessmen, in short, by all those who feel touched by his enquiry.

By Leon Kossovitch
Art Critic, Philosopher; Graduated in Civil Engineering from the current University of Uberada;
Graduated in Philosophy from the University of São Paulo, obtaining Master's and Doctorate degrees;
Professor of Philosophy, Literature and Human Sciences at USP.

Por: Luiz Bhittencourt