Cândido Costa Pinto (Figueira da Foz, 1911 – São Paulo, 1977) received his first painting and drawing lessons at his father’s studio. At only 12 years old, he was already working with the press and he published his first caricature. He attended the Coimbra Highschool and, in 1931, he was one of the founders of the Divergentes [Divergents] group, that reunited young artists. The period between 1929 and 1939, marked by his tuberculosis, was a period of new interests, namely yoga and the Krishnamurti texts, whose ideas influenced his personality. Within the context of graphic arts, to which he dedicated himself from 1939, he was the author of a remarkable set of posters and book covers, of surrealist inspiration, particularly those of the Argonautaand Vampiro collections. In 1941, he had his first solo exhibition, which marked the beginning of his surrealist production. Six years later, he travelled to Paris, where he contacted with André Breton and his group, and signed the Rupture inaugurale manifesto. His work was not totally accepted by the French group, with disagreements on the surrealism concepts that would lead to this return to Lisbon, in the same year. In the Portuguese capital, he was a key figure in the creation of the Lisbon Surrealist Group, together with figures like António Pedro, Fernando de Azevedo, Marcelino Vespeira or José Augusto França. Costa Pinto refused to be part of some of the group manifestations, for he didn’t demonstrate the challenging attitude of his colleagues. The fact that he participated at the Lisbon Salon organised by SNI, associated him with the government and given the protesting character of the group against the Salazar regime, this attitude led to his expulsion. Initially, his work revealed a significant influence by Salvador Dali, which evolved to a geometric, at times abstract language. Further to his various exhibitions in Lisbon, he participated internationally at the 25th Venice Biennale, in 1950, and at the 1st São Paulo Biennale, in 1951. Costa Pinto was also a documentary producer and director. His work is represented in various institutional and private collections.
FMV, October 2020
