Mira Schendel (Toquinhos 1972) 1972

Mira Schendel made this small artwork, a mere 50 x 22 cm, most likely in 1972. What material did she use? It's hard to know for sure, but I would imagine her carefully inking these shapes and lines with deliberation. I think of Schendel placing the two letter forms at different orientations to one another, seemingly floating on the white space. Then she adds a square with a textured surface—but what could it be? There’s a playfulness, a deliberate openness to interpretation, that feels so inviting. It reminds me of other painterly approaches in Latin America at the time, but her work is uniquely her own. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that art is not just about answers, but about the ongoing questions and conversations artists have with one another across time, inspiring creativity and new perspectives.