In partnership with the Embassy of Brazil, the IDB Staff Association Art Gallery (IDB SA Art Gallery) presents Rituals: A Celebration of Indigenous Life Through the Lens of Renato Soares.
This exhibition provides an intimate glimpse into the lives and traditions of Brazil’s indigenous peoples through the captivating and award-winning photography of Renato Soares. Renowned for his ability to capture the essence of human connection and culture, Soares presents the vibrant and ancient rituals of communities such as the Waujá, Kamayurá, Kuikuro, Kalapalo, Yawalapíti, Mebengokre, and Yanomami.
Renato Soares was born on September 4, 1966, in Carmo do Rio Claro, Minas Gerais, where he currently resides. He collaborates with publications such as National Geographic, Scientific American, and the Harvard Review of Latin America. A self-taught photographer, he began his career in the 1980s. Since then, he has undertaken systematic journeys across Brazil, particularly in the Amazon, documenting the cultural expressions of various ethnic groups.
His connection to the indigenous world dates back to childhood and was strengthened through early encounters with remote tribes in the Amazon, such as the Marubo and Matsé of the Javari Valley. With a keen and sensitive eye and the ability to immerse himself in the indigenous world, Renato Soares has become one of the most renowned photographers specializing in the daily life of Brazilian villages. He currently leads the Amerindians of Brazil project, an ambitious photographic documentation of over 300 indigenous nations. This work aims to preserve, through imagery, ancestral figures deeply rooted in Brazil’s cultural identity.