Antonio Hélio Cabral was born in Marília, in the Midwest of São Paulo, in the year 1948. Already during his studies at the Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of the University of São Paulo [FAU-USP/70’s] Cabral dedicates himself, in an increasingly intense way, to
artistic activity. Naturally inserted in the context of FAU-USP, Cabral’s production became, over time, increasingly “his”, shaped over the years in such a way as not to find parallels, that is, profoundly out of fads and trends. A FAU student, Cabral participates as organizer and exhibitor of three editions
of the “Fine Arts Exhibition for Students and Teachers of FAU-USP”, at the same time, teaches painting and drawing classes at the Lasar Segall 1 Museum
.
In 1972 he participated in group exhibitions: “Contemporary Youth Art” [MAC-USP], Paulista Contemporary Art Salon [MASP] and the exhibition organized by the Association
of the Friends of the São Paulo Museum of Modern Art. Humor, irony, and debauchery, constant features in Cabral’s work, occupied a prominent place in the 70s. There, Cabral operates, based on the non-linearity of time, an operation open to all sides, an equation that, according to him, is solved by the vibration of the elements. Dos
objects and paintings from the 70s, the following stand out: “The Death of Painting”, “Moses”, “Bald
Hairy”, “Barrel”, “Pencil Case”, “Cabrocha”, “Miss Brazil”. It is in this context that, in 1976, the São Paulo Art Museum [MASP], when organizing Cabral’s solo exhibition, seeks to highlight the artist’s vast and diverse production
.