The art of Luiz Zerbini speaks in the language of grids. Zerbini, who was included in the landmark exhibition Como vai você Geração 80? (How Are You Doing, 80s Generation?) held in Rio de Janeiro in 1984, is known for his colorful, large-scale paintings that range from the figurative to the abstract. Even in his luminous, naturalistic landscapes and cityscapes bursting with lush tropical vegetation, grids insert themselves naturally in the guise of shelves or tiles that hint to a sense of order. In Zerbini's more abstract works, the deft arrangement of geometric blocks of colors against a grid generates a gripping optical effect and a rhythmic interplay between surface and depth. The artist often finds inspiration from objects, photographs, and texts in his personal collection that make their appearances in his paintings, sculptures, and installations. In 2010, Zerbini began a series of geometric collages using old slides. By applying color to the slide mounts, or substituting the transparency with colored film, Zerbini created mesmerizing permutations of grid and chromatic patterns that have come to define his oeuvre.

Born in São Paulo in 1959, Zerbini lives and works in Rio de Janeiro. Solo exhibitions of his work have been held at Max Wigram Gallery, London; Galpão Fortes Vilaça, São Paulo; Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro; Museo Tambo Quirquincho, La Paz, Bolivia; Museu da República, Rio de Janeiro; and Galeria Casa do Brasil, Madrid; among many others. Since 1982, he has also participated in group exhibitions held at the Museu Histórico Nacional, Rio de Janeiro; Museu Brasileiro da Escultura, São Paulo; Museu de Arte de São Paulo; Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Portugal; Haus der Kulturen der Welt, Berlin; and others. Works by Zerbini are represented in the collections of the Inhotim Centro de Arte Contemporânea, Brumadinho, Brazil; Instituto Itaú Cultural, São Paulo; Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro; and Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo. Zerbini is also a member of the visual art and music collective Chelpa Ferro.

TL