Fernanda Galvão

Fernanda Galvão constructs speculative environments through a visual language developed from her interest in biology and science fiction. Working across painting, installation, and video, the artist reveals unfamiliar worlds in which landscapes, anatomy, and living matter intertwine. Rooted in her personal experience, Galvão has developed a sustained interest in cancer cells and is particularly fascinated by the pigments used by pathologists to stain them, as well as the relationship between the microcosm and the cosmos. Her exploration of the inherent variability and unpredictability of living structures inspires the artist’s fictional ecosystems, populated by plant-like entities, membranes, cellular structures, and organisms unknown to humans. Rich in layers of oil stick, charcoal, and pastel, Galvão’s paintings juxtapose expansive fields of color with meticulous linear details, suggesting scenes of regenerative entropy and adaptation. Within these environments, living systems become reservoirs of memory and vessels for invisible forms of knowledge. Devoid of sunlight or horizon lines, her autonomous worlds gradually blur the boundaries between inside and outside—ultimately erasing spatial and temporal reference points. Thus, Galvão’s paintings transform into otherworldly environments that depart from reality, while simultaneously becoming spaces that evoke an instinctive sense of curiosity. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Fernanda Galvão lives and works in Paris, France. She received her BA in Visual Arts from the Fundação Armando Alvares Penteado (FAAP) in São Paulo and has recently held solo exhibitions at Galerie Barbara Thumm, Berlin (2026); Casa Triângulo, São Paulo (2025); Lyles & King, New York (2024); and FOUNDRY SEOUL, Seoul (2023). Her work has been presented in group exhibitions at major galleries and institutions, including White Cube Bermondsey, London; Instituto Tomie Ohtake, São Paulo; and Museu Oscar Niemeyer, Curitiba. Her work is held in the collections of Museu de Arte Brasileira (MAB), Instituto Brumadinho, and the Jorge M. Pérez Collection. Following residencies at the Cité internationale des arts in Paris and the Joshua Tree Highlands Artist Residency in California, Galvão is currently in residence at POUSH in Paris–Aubervilliers. In October 2026, she will unveil a solo presentation at Frieze London, jointly presented by FOUNDRY SEOUL and Casa Triângulo, accompanied by the publication of her first monograph by B&G Press.