Bio
Marcia Barreto Gomes' works are focused around rare and hand-made paper derived from vegetables, fruits and leaves from all corners of the world. She manipulates the character of these papers through layering and juxtaposition to transform their textures and opacities, creating a harmony of abstract shapes in composition that hide the nature of the original raw material. Her compositions provide a meditation on the mystery of the synthesis. Recently, she has developed a series of books including intricate small-scale collages, which was exhibited in The New York Public Library on the Upper East Side.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Gomes has been fascinated with patterns and fabrics from an early age. Moving to Sao Paulo she became involved in the fashion industry working for Carmin, a Brazilian fashion house. She has traveled extensively throughout Europe, South America and India and settled in New York in 1996. She took up studies at the Art Students League with the distinguished painter Bruce Doorman.
She studied with Mr. Dorfman for three years focusing in collage and abstract design. During this time she was named Best In Show in the 1997 Concourse competition. Since then she has exhibited every year in group shows at the A. Jain Marunouchi Gallery on 57th Street and since 2014 on the Lower East Side. She was given Manhattan Arts International's Award of Excellence during its 1999 and 2000 competition. 1999 also marked her first solo show at the World Fine Art Gallery in New York City, and in February 2000, she won the Award of Merit from Manhattan Arts International's Herstory competition.
Marcia Barreto Gomes currently works and lives in New York City and her works are represented in private collections in Brazil, Switzerland and the United States.
January 2019