In the landscape of contemporary Brazilian art, Alda Petersen’s work emerges as a beacon
of reflection and visual power. With a keen eye on art history and a master’s degree in
Visual Arts from UNICAMP, Alda doesn’t simply fill the surface—she probes its boundaries,
exploring the narratives that unfold when form meets critical thought.
Born in São Paulo and currently based in Piracicaba, Alda has built her path through active
engagement with the artistic community—studying under renowned mentors and making
her mark in exhibitions and salons, where her work has received significant recognition. This
lived experience, paired with the rigor of her research, shapes a body of work whose
imagery is consistently thought-provoking and deeply inquisitive.
Rooted in a profound interest and understanding of art history, her pieces often spark
meaningful debate—particularly around the emblematic role of women artists in Brazilian
society, a theme that also formed the core of her master’s thesis.
Today, Alda Petersen finds inspiration in 20th-century American artists, a reference that
undeniably adds new layers to her exploration of pictorial space. This ongoing research, as
she describes it, points to an approach where the canvas is not merely a passive surface for
images, but an active territory of possibility—a space to be built, dismantled, and
reimagined, where the boundaries between the formal and the conceptual become fluid.
In her hands, the space of painting can stretch beyond its physical frame, reaching into the
viewer’s own space—or contract into microcosms of intense visual concentration.
The questioning nature of her work reveals itself not only through formal inquiry, but also
through the way she revisits and reinterprets historical and social themes. When Alda
revisits art history, she does so not with passive reverence, but with a critical gaze—
unearthing submerged narratives, especially those related to the female experience.
Her work reminds us that art, at its most powerful, makes us think. It challenges us to see
beyond the surface and to question the structures we’ve come to accept.
In a world that often demands easy answers, Alda Petersen’s art celebrates inquiry—the
value of exploration, and the courage to paint not just what is seen, but what is thought and
felt about the very act of seeing and being.