Bronze Sculpture for Sale
Japan
• 1924
- 1997
Biography
Manabu Mabe (1924–1997) was a Japanese-Brazilian painter, printmaker, and illustrator, recognized as a pioneer of abstract art in Brazil. Born in Kumamoto, Japan, he immigrated to Brazil with his family in 1934, settling in the coffee plantations of São Paulo's interior. Initially working in agriculture, Mabe began painting in his spare time, eventually transitioning to a full-time artistic career.
In the late 1940s, Mabe moved to São Paulo, where he connected with artists like Tomoo Handa and Yoshiya Takaoka, joining groups such as the Seibi Group and Grupo Guanabara. His early works were figurative, but he soon developed a distinctive abstract style characterized by gestural brushwork and vibrant colors, blending influences from Japanese calligraphy, European lyrical abstraction, and American abstract expressionism.
Mabe gained significant recognition in 1959, winning the Best National Painter award at the 5th São Paulo Biennial and the Prix Braun at the 1st Paris Biennial. That same year, Time magazine featured him in an article titled "The Year of Manabu Mabe," highlighting his rapid rise in the art world.
Tragically, in 1979, 53 of his paintings were lost when a Varig cargo plane disappeared over the Pacific Ocean. Despite this loss, Mabe continued to create and exhibit his work internationally. His pieces are held in prestigious institutions, including the Museum of Contemporary Art in São Paulo, the Museum of Modern Art in Rio de Janeiro, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Dallas Museum of Art.
In 1986, the São Paulo Museum of Art (MASP) hosted a major retrospective of his work, accompanied by a trilingual catalog. He published his autobiography, Chove no Cafezal, in 1995. Mabe passed away in São Paulo in 1997, leaving a lasting impact on Brazilian modern art.
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