Maria Helena Vieira da Silva (1908–1992) fell in love with art while still a child. Her father was a diplomat, and by the time she was 11, she had already encountered the sharp canvases of the Italian Futurists and the whimsical costumes of the Ballets Russes. Vieira da Silva studied at the Academia de Belas-Artes under Emília dos Santos Braga and Fernand Léger, then moved to Paris as soon as she was old enough. There she became part of Europe’s Abstract Expressionist movement, known as Art Informel. Her style blends Futurism, Cubism, and Constructivism, and in large, luminous canvases she lets jagged forms interrupt and rearrange the picture plane. This exhibition is divided into eight themed sections and focuses on key paintings that embody her evolving and innovative use of abstract form. —Elena Clavarino