Mira Schendel is considered one of the most original and important artists of the second half of the 20th century, “reinventing the language of European modernism in Brazil.” She produced an incredibly prolific body of work over a span of 40 years, and since many of her works were not exhibited or published during her lifetime, there are still several undiscovered areas of her oeuvre.

Schendel repeatedly uses a series of leitmotifs — letters, geometric figures, phrases and images — in different mediums throughout her work, which together reflect an innovative visual lexicon. Entertaining a preference for unusual materials such as rice paper, fabrics and aqueous inks, she produced works of art with breathtaking delicacy. These artistic tools and careful methodology create an aesthetic unity in her oeuvre that reflects a freedom whereby the artist explored many different paths in order to achieve her creative goals.

During the 1970s Schendel deepened her study of spirituality and philosophy, and she incorporated more vibrant colors into her previously largely monochromatic palette. This shift is reflected in the present lot, where Schendel utilized the technique of embroidery with brightly colored thread and pigments to create geometrical forms that together form the shape of a cross or a cathedral navel. Schendel left behind an exquisite legacy that goes beyond the materiality of making art, allowing us to understand the relationship between language, time and human thought processes.