China's Forbidden Cities - Preview
ERROL FLYNN GALERIA DE ARTE
CHINA’S FORBIDDEN CITIES
Solo Exhibition: Oil Paintings and Digital Works
Marcelo A De Paula
MAPFINEARTS
Virtual Gallery
MAY 2024
The idea behind China’s Forbidden Cities exhibition is based initially upon a mere coincidence of two subjects of great interest in my life which have not yet been intertwined: China and Painting.
Personally speaking, for many years I have always had a great admiration for China and its remarkable culture as an economist as well as a painter. Regarding painting, the beauty and expressiveness of Classical Chinese artworks have fascinated me since my first contact more than 30 years ago during my years of studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. A closer look into Chinese Classical art shows that the art of painting occupies the highest place in the country’s artistic culture. During the Shang Dynasty – 商朝 – around 1300 B.C., the Chinese language passed through a significant departure from other languages’ evolutionary patterns by transforming a pictogram into an ideogram, in other words, combining pictures to express abstract ideas. From then on, the possibilities of combinations to create ideas were simply infinite and the Chinese language evolved to become entirely distinct from any other language in the world. As a consequence, painting and writing are sometimes difficult to differentiate one from the other. In many periods of Chinese history, calligraphy and painting are so merged that the two forms of art are to be considered virtually one. Among the many ways Chinese paintings are executed, one of the most praised ones is done in water-soluble ink on silk or Xuan paper (宣紙) which allows the artist to work with the same kind of disciplined brush strokes used in the practice of calligraphy. In addition to that, for the painter the artwork is mostly done with lines and dots, colors are often regarded as a distraction, and light and shadow are economically used through delicate variations of gray. This has been described as Literati Painting or xiěyìhuà style (寫意畫). This寫意畫style first came to prominence during the Song dynasty – 宋朝 – (AD 960-1279) and since then has been one of the major approaches to Chinese painting. By focusing on monochrome calligraphic brushwork, the artist is free to go beyond the mere representation of the subject through an expressionist and personal style.
In this regard China’s Forbidden Cities is a departure from the aforementioned 寫意畫. As a matter of fact, the use of heavy bodies of colors and oil painting technique are, for sure, in great contrast to any traditional style of Chinese paintings. Nevertheless, some important elements of Chinese style, not mentioned here, are present in the artworks shown in this exhibition. For instance, many of the paintings are conceived from a raised viewpoint which tries to create, like in some scholar-official paintings, an overview of the whole and, in some cases, an awkward sense of not being able to determine the exact perspective of the painter in the scene. In addition to that, a noteworthy characteristic of my paintings which could be associated with another element of Chinese Style refers to the way of inserting the human element into the scene. As in an ideogram in which each articulated brushstroke should be integrated into a dynamically balanced whole, the focal point in the conception of “reading the painting” 讀繪畫 is the perception of balance and harmony. The human element is, therefore, divested from any protagonism in order to be incorporated into the architectural elements of the landscape. Likewise Chinese Classical paintings, though traces of mankind are found in every part of the contemporary urban scenes such as in buildings, temples, bridges or streets, people are absent or distorted in size and significance by the vastness of the cityscape.
Another reason for my choosing China as a subject for this exhibition, including the Forbidden City in Beijing, is the fantastic dynamism and colorful views of contemporary Shanghai and Hong Kong’s night life which is, in the end, the focus of my paintings. The almost incredible proliferation of colors in the Forbidden City is also a motive to incorporate into the paintings bold contrasts in the use of all possible kinds of colors. Unlike the traditional Chinese painter who in his attempt to capture the inner essence of things discarded color and light as an undesirable distraction, I have been interested in how to deal, in pictorial terms, with the massive dispersion of colors, lights and shadows in big cities’ night scenes.
An additional line of inspiration for this exhibition is my growing interest, in recent years, in developing in my painting work the representation of urban night scenes. The attraction for those night views is somewhat related to the visual energy associated with the night life in big contemporary cities. However, as a painter, the representation of night cityscapes requires the careful understanding of some conceptual problems before any attempt to move into that direction. One of those problems I knew I had to address from the start would be the chaotic spread of all kinds of lights of different colors and spots of light all over the scene. The excess of artificial light in every area of a night cityscape creates the risk of an undesirable distraction to conceive a painting which eventually must be read by the casual observer. Though night scenes have been painted since the time of Giotto, contemporary urban scenes are considerably different from those in any other time in history simply because cities nowadays have grown and changed in an unparalled way. The excess of dispersed light is not, however, the only problem to conceive a night scene painting. Surprisingly, colors derived from artificial lights pose even greater challenges once their proliferation in all possible hues makes the construction of aesthetic values extremely difficult. In spite of all problems, I could not prevent myself from venturing into the representation of such colorful and illusionistic night images of modern contemporary urban centers.
The initial stages of my painting projects for China’s Urban Landscapes are based upon on-site digital photographic records of urban landscapes in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Computer resources of digital/graphic interference are extensively utilized to outline some of the basic aesthetic ideas which are the groundwork of my projects as well as to define the necessary elements of the drawing required for the execution of the paintings.
Finally, more recently, digital works based upon digital photography in association with digital technology special effects techniques began to be incorporated into the scope of my artistic production in visual arts. The digital/graphic interference in the images, widely used for the conception of my paintings, gradually acquired a conceptual autonomy in relation to the aesthetic/visual discourse submitted exclusively, until a few years ago, to painting techniques. For this exhibition, some of these experimental digital works are presented as Fine Art Prints, in terms of the quality of the supports and pigments utilized, and will be presented together with the oil paintings.
Marcelo Assis De Paula
Website link:
www.mapfinearts.com
e-mails:
marcelo@mapfinearts.com
conatusci@hotmail.com
References
Chinese Painting Gallery. Published by the Chinese/Shanghai Museums.
Kissinger, Henry. On China. New York: The Penguin Press, 2011.
Hearn, Maxwell K. How to Read Chinese Paintings. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2008.
Morton, W. Scott, and Charlton M. Lewis. China: Its History and Culture. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005.
Tanner, Harold M. China: A History. Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 2009.
BIOGRAPHY
FORMAL EDUCATION – FINE ARTS (PAINTING)
Self-Taught studies in oil painting (1998 – 2001);
Painting III – University Course in Fine Arts – Painting – Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil (2nd Semester 2002);
Atelier I - University Course in Fine Arts – Painting – Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil – (Final Year – 1st Semester 2003);
Atelier II - University Course in Fine Arts – Painting – Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil – (Final Year – 2nd Semester 2003).
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE – FINE ARTS (PAINTING)
Painter
(1998 – present)
From 2002 onwards, after having taken various courses in oil-painting at the School of Fine Arts at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, with one of Brazil’s most distinguished painters, Mário Zavagli, the subject of Marcelo A De Paula’s paintings stems from, principally, representing urban landscapes. Over the past 10 years, representational painting of urban landscapes (界畫 – jièhuà) and the search for an inherent aesthetic discourse have been the main challenges for Marcelo A De Paula’s artwork. In order to pursue an increasing control of the technical aspects of representational art, traditional painting techniques have been embraced into the elaboration of the artwork.
Marcelo A De Paula’s most recent paintings explore the architectural and pictorial materials of China's urban landscapes. In addition, the artwork has also shifted its focus to the representation of night scenes which quite often stray away from the formal elements of realism. As a world-class metropolis, contemporary cities like Shanghai, Hong Kong and Beijing embody the vibrant nature of a modern urban center through the massive dispersion of colors, lights and shadows of their night scenes. The representation of such colorful and illusionist nocturnal images of contemporary urban centers presents significant challenges. Both the excess of scattered light and the colors derived from all kinds of artificial light make the conception of the painting’s aesthetic values extremely complex.
In order to deal with the aforementioned challenges, computer resources of digital/graphic technology are extensively utilized to outline some of the basic aesthetic ideas that underlie the groundwork of the artworks as well as to define the necessary elements of the drawing required for the execution of the paintings.
Finally, more recently, digital works based upon digital photography in association with digital technology special effects techniques began to be incorporated into the scope of Marcelo A De Paula’s artistic production in visual arts. The digital/graphic interference in the images, widely used for the conception of the paintings, gradually acquired a conceptual autonomy in relation to the aesthetic/visual discourse submitted exclusively, until a few years ago, to painting techniques. As of 2022, these experimental digital works have gained equal importance in Marcelo A De Paula’s artworks. Currently, digital works are regularly presented as Fine Art Prints, in terms of the quality of the supports and pigments utilized, and have been fully incorporated into Marcelo A De Paula’s visual artistic production.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS AND AUCTIONS
Auction: Two of his works included in an auction at the Errol Flynn Galeira de Arte, April 2024. The works were also reproduced in the exhibition catalog.
Auction: Two of his works included in an auction at the Errol Flynn Galeria de Arte, November 2023. The works were also reproduced in the exhibition catalog.
Auction: Two of his works included in an auction at the Errol Flynn Galeria de Arte, June 2023. The works were also reproduced in the exhibition catalog.
Solo Exhibition: “China’s Forbidden Cities – Oil Paintings and Digital Works” at the Medical Association of Minas Gerais – Espaço Cultural Otto Cirne, Belo Horizonte, Brazil – May 2nd, 2022 through May 31st, 2022.
Virtual Solo Exhibition: “China’s Forbidden Cities III” at MAPFINEARTS – Virtual Gallery, www.mapfinearts.com – April 23rd, 2022 through June 28th, 2022.
Virtual Solo Exhibition: “China’s Forbidden Cities II” at MAPFINEARTS – Virtual Gallery, www.mapfinearts.com – October 16th, 2021 through June 21st, 2021.
Virtual Solo Exhibition: “China’s Forbidden Cities I” at MAPFINEARTS – Virtual Gallery, www.mapfinearts.com – April 24th, 2021 through June 29th, 2021.
Solo Exhibition: “China: Forbidden Cities” at the Medical Association of Minas Gerais – Espaço Cultural Otto Cirne, Belo Horizonte, Brazil – June 1st, 2017 through June 30th, 2017.
Solo Exhibition at the Medical Association of Minas Gerais – Espaço Cultural Otto Cirne, Belo Horizonte, Brazil – July 1st, 2016 through July 31st, 2016.
Auction: One of his works included in an auction at the Errol Flynn Galeria de Arte, October 2015. The work was also reproduced in the exhibition catalog.
Auction: One of his works included in an auction at the Errol Flynn Galeria de Arte, April 2015. The work was also reproduced in the exhibition catalog.
Auction: One of his works included in an auction at the Errol Flynn Galeria de Arte, December 2014. The work was also reproduced in the exhibition catalog.
Solo Exhibition “Serenissima and Other Urban Spaces” at the Medical Association of Minas Gerais – Espaço Cultural Otto Cirne, Belo Horizonte, Brazil – February 3rd, 2014 through March 31st, 2014.
Solo Exhibition at the Medical Association of Minas Gerais – Espaço Cultural Otto Cirne, Belo Horizonte, Brazil – August 19th, 2002 through September 06th, 2002.
Auction: One of his works included in an auction at the Galeria Murilo Castro, June 2002. The work was also reproduced in the exhibition catalog.
FORMAL EDUCATION – ECONOMICS
Ph.D. in Economics, May 1993, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States.
M.A. in Economics, January 1989, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States.
Bachelor in Economics, December 1986, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil.
FIELDS OF SPECIALIZATION IN THE Ph.D. PROGRAM
International Economics, Economic Development, and Econometrics.
PROFESSIONAL AND ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
Conatus Consultoria & Investimentos Ltda – Asset Management – Senior Partner
(August 1997 – present)
As the General Manager and co-founder of Conatus Asset Management, Mr De Paula is responsible for the investment analysis department of the firm. Mr De Paula is also legally authorized by the Brazilian Securities Exchange Commission (CVM) to exercise portfolio management activities since 1999. Conatus was granted the authorization to operate as an asset management firm from CVM in 2003.
The company has focused its attention to manage financial resources in the Brazilian stockmarket. A completely unique investment model which incorporates an in-depth fundamental research on various industries has been developed to provide assistance in the decision-making process of asset allocation. The analytical framework extensively uses quantitative analysis as well as recognized theories in the fields of finance and econometrics in order to better structure the investment strategies.
In addition to that, Conatus’ investment methodologies are supported by robust data sources in order to create the necessary conditions for a sound understanding of the companies being considered as potential long-term investments. The economic fundamentals are viewed as key parameters for forecasting future performances and, consequently, for implementing the most efficient investment allocation.
Over the years, the investment strategies devised by Conatus have been able to generate, under controlled risks, strong results for its shareholders with long-term investments in the Brazilian stockmarket.
Investment advisory services for individuals and small firms are also provided by the firm.
Economist
(November 1996 – July 1997)
Development of a comprehensive financial modeling for the Brazilian stockmarkets using MS-Excel spreadsheets.
Involved in the elaboration of the economic and financial content of a Confidential Information Memorandum for Rádio-Beep Telecomunicações.
Localiza Rent a Car S/A – Financial Projects Manager
(February 1995 - October 1996)
Structured the long-run financial strategies for the company in the Brazilian capital markets.
In association with the ING-Barings bank, development of a complete economic and financial analysis of the business by using the Discounted Cash Flow Methodology.
Elaboration of a complete Information Memorandum for the Private Equity Placement.
Mr De Paula has also participated in the process of a legal due diligence undertaken by the law firm Pinheiro Neto Advogados.
In collaboration with the ING-Barings bank, Mr De Paula actively participated in the private equity placement of the company which intended to bring a qualified financial minority stake to support the growth prospects of the business. The financial operation was successfully concluded in 1996 and brought the Securities Corporation Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette – DLJ[1] as the new shareholder of Localiza. The private equity raised US$ 50 million and DLJ acquired 1/3 of Localiza’s common shares.[2]
Mr De Paula was also responsible, during his tenure at Localiza, for the financial elaboration of the Total Quality Program with the Brazilian government financial agency, FINEP.
After the conclusion of the private equity placement in 1996, Mr De Paula decided to quit his position at Localiza in order to start his own business in the Brazilian capital markets.
Economist
(November 1993 - January 1995)
Development of an empirical study which analized the impact of market concentration on the volatility of the Brazilian stock market. In order to evaluate the risks of stock market crashes, the study made extensive use of econometric tools.
Provided investment consulting services for investors interested in a better understanding of financial statements of publically trading companies in the Brazil’s stock exchange.
University of Illinois – Scholarship and Research Assistance
(1987-1993)
Elaboration of a PhD thesis in economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The research project studied the inter-relationships of economic expansion and the performance of Italy’s external sector during the post-Second World War period. The research also focused its attention on the impact of the export sector in the process of industrialization of the Italian economy as well as in the transformation of the economic structure of the country in the period of 1950-1990.
In this period, Mr De Paula attended the doctorate program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
MAIN RESEARCH PAPERS
External Debt and Capital Inflow into Brazil, University of Illinois, December 1988.
Causality between Export Growth and Industrial Production: An Empirical Study for the Brazilian Economy (1971-1981), November 1989.
Commercial Policy and Growth Expansion in Italy, 1861-1913, October 1990.
Foreign Trade and Economic Expansion in Italy, 1951-1990, University of Illinois, May 1993.
Will Economic Integration Undermine the Multilateral Trading System?, March 1994.
FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Portuguese
English
French
Italian
Chinese – 普通话
OTHER ACTIVITIES
MUSIC
FORMAL EDUCATION – VIOLONCELLO
Cello studies (1978 – present);
Several University Courses in Music – Violoncello;
School of Music - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA – (1988 – 1993);
School of Music - Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil – (1984 – 1986).
PERSONAL DATA
Name: Marcelo Assis De Paula
Birth Date: February 10th 1964
Place of Birth: Belo Horizonte
Nationality: Brazilian
Address: Rua Pernambuco 514 – Apto 101
Phone #: 55 31 3241-3904
Cel Phone #: 55 31 9 9916-1009
Email
conatusci@hotmail.com
marcelo@mapfinearts.com
________________________________________
CHINA’S FORBIDDEN CITIES
Solo Exhibition: Oil Paintings and Digital Works
Marcelo A De Paula
MAPFINEARTS
Virtual Gallery
MAY 2024
The idea behind China’s Forbidden Cities exhibition is based initially upon a mere coincidence of two subjects of great interest in my life which have not yet been intertwined: China and Painting.
Personally speaking, for many years I have always had a great admiration for China and its remarkable culture as an economist as well as a painter. Regarding painting, the beauty and expressiveness of Classical Chinese artworks have fascinated me since my first contact more than 30 years ago during my years of studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. A closer look into Chinese Classical art shows that the art of painting occupies the highest place in the country’s artistic culture. During the Shang Dynasty – 商朝 – around 1300 B.C., the Chinese language passed through a significant departure from other languages’ evolutionary patterns by transforming a pictogram into an ideogram, in other words, combining pictures to express abstract ideas. From then on, the possibilities of combinations to create ideas were simply infinite and the Chinese language evolved to become entirely distinct from any other language in the world. As a consequence, painting and writing are sometimes difficult to differentiate one from the other. In many periods of Chinese history, calligraphy and painting are so merged that the two forms of art are to be considered virtually one. Among the many ways Chinese paintings are executed, one of the most praised ones is done in water-soluble ink on silk or Xuan paper (宣紙) which allows the artist to work with the same kind of disciplined brush strokes used in the practice of calligraphy. In addition to that, for the painter the artwork is mostly done with lines and dots, colors are often regarded as a distraction, and light and shadow are economically used through delicate variations of gray. This has been described as Literati Painting or xiěyìhuà style (寫意畫). This寫意畫style first came to prominence during the Song dynasty – 宋朝 – (AD 960-1279) and since then has been one of the major approaches to Chinese painting. By focusing on monochrome calligraphic brushwork, the artist is free to go beyond the mere representation of the subject through an expressionist and personal style.
In this regard China’s Forbidden Cities is a departure from the aforementioned 寫意畫. As a matter of fact, the use of heavy bodies of colors and oil painting technique are, for sure, in great contrast to any traditional style of Chinese paintings. Nevertheless, some important elements of Chinese style, not mentioned here, are present in the artworks shown in this exhibition. For instance, many of the paintings are conceived from a raised viewpoint which tries to create, like in some scholar-official paintings, an overview of the whole and, in some cases, an awkward sense of not being able to determine the exact perspective of the painter in the scene. In addition to that, a noteworthy characteristic of my paintings which could be associated with another element of Chinese Style refers to the way of inserting the human element into the scene. As in an ideogram in which each articulated brushstroke should be integrated into a dynamically balanced whole, the focal point in the conception of “reading the painting” 讀繪畫 is the perception of balance and harmony. The human element is, therefore, divested from any protagonism in order to be incorporated into the architectural elements of the landscape. Likewise Chinese Classical paintings, though traces of mankind are found in every part of the contemporary urban scenes such as in buildings, temples, bridges or streets, people are absent or distorted in size and significance by the vastness of the cityscape.
Another reason for my choosing China as a subject for this exhibition, including the Forbidden City in Beijing, is the fantastic dynamism and colorful views of contemporary Shanghai and Hong Kong’s night life which is, in the end, the focus of my paintings. The almost incredible proliferation of colors in the Forbidden City is also a motive to incorporate into the paintings bold contrasts in the use of all possible kinds of colors. Unlike the traditional Chinese painter who in his attempt to capture the inner essence of things discarded color and light as an undesirable distraction, I have been interested in how to deal, in pictorial terms, with the massive dispersion of colors, lights and shadows in big cities’ night scenes.
An additional line of inspiration for this exhibition is my growing interest, in recent years, in developing in my painting work the representation of urban night scenes. The attraction for those night views is somewhat related to the visual energy associated with the night life in big contemporary cities. However, as a painter, the representation of night cityscapes requires the careful understanding of some conceptual problems before any attempt to move into that direction. One of those problems I knew I had to address from the start would be the chaotic spread of all kinds of lights of different colors and spots of light all over the scene. The excess of artificial light in every area of a night cityscape creates the risk of an undesirable distraction to conceive a painting which eventually must be read by the casual observer. Though night scenes have been painted since the time of Giotto, contemporary urban scenes are considerably different from those in any other time in history simply because cities nowadays have grown and changed in an unparalled way. The excess of dispersed light is not, however, the only problem to conceive a night scene painting. Surprisingly, colors derived from artificial lights pose even greater challenges once their proliferation in all possible hues makes the construction of aesthetic values extremely difficult. In spite of all problems, I could not prevent myself from venturing into the representation of such colorful and illusionistic night images of modern contemporary urban centers.
The initial stages of my painting projects for China’s Urban Landscapes are based upon on-site digital photographic records of urban landscapes in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong. Computer resources of digital/graphic interference are extensively utilized to outline some of the basic aesthetic ideas which are the groundwork of my projects as well as to define the necessary elements of the drawing required for the execution of the paintings.
Finally, more recently, digital works based upon digital photography in association with digital technology special effects techniques began to be incorporated into the scope of my artistic production in visual arts. The digital/graphic interference in the images, widely used for the conception of my paintings, gradually acquired a conceptual autonomy in relation to the aesthetic/visual discourse submitted exclusively, until a few years ago, to painting techniques. For this exhibition, some of these experimental digital works are presented as Fine Art Prints, in terms of the quality of the supports and pigments utilized, and will be presented together with the oil paintings.
Marcelo Assis De Paula
Website link:
www.mapfinearts.com
e-mails:
marcelo@mapfinearts.com
conatusci@hotmail.com
References
Chinese Painting Gallery. Published by the Chinese/Shanghai Museums.
Kissinger, Henry. On China. New York: The Penguin Press, 2011.
Hearn, Maxwell K. How to Read Chinese Paintings. New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2008.
Morton, W. Scott, and Charlton M. Lewis. China: Its History and Culture. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2005.
Tanner, Harold M. China: A History. Hackett Publishing Company, Inc., 2009.
BIOGRAPHY
FORMAL EDUCATION – FINE ARTS (PAINTING)
Self-Taught studies in oil painting (1998 – 2001);
Painting III – University Course in Fine Arts – Painting – Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil (2nd Semester 2002);
Atelier I - University Course in Fine Arts – Painting – Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil – (Final Year – 1st Semester 2003);
Atelier II - University Course in Fine Arts – Painting – Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil – (Final Year – 2nd Semester 2003).
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE – FINE ARTS (PAINTING)
Painter
(1998 – present)
From 2002 onwards, after having taken various courses in oil-painting at the School of Fine Arts at the Federal University of Minas Gerais, with one of Brazil’s most distinguished painters, Mário Zavagli, the subject of Marcelo A De Paula’s paintings stems from, principally, representing urban landscapes. Over the past 10 years, representational painting of urban landscapes (界畫 – jièhuà) and the search for an inherent aesthetic discourse have been the main challenges for Marcelo A De Paula’s artwork. In order to pursue an increasing control of the technical aspects of representational art, traditional painting techniques have been embraced into the elaboration of the artwork.
Marcelo A De Paula’s most recent paintings explore the architectural and pictorial materials of China's urban landscapes. In addition, the artwork has also shifted its focus to the representation of night scenes which quite often stray away from the formal elements of realism. As a world-class metropolis, contemporary cities like Shanghai, Hong Kong and Beijing embody the vibrant nature of a modern urban center through the massive dispersion of colors, lights and shadows of their night scenes. The representation of such colorful and illusionist nocturnal images of contemporary urban centers presents significant challenges. Both the excess of scattered light and the colors derived from all kinds of artificial light make the conception of the painting’s aesthetic values extremely complex.
In order to deal with the aforementioned challenges, computer resources of digital/graphic technology are extensively utilized to outline some of the basic aesthetic ideas that underlie the groundwork of the artworks as well as to define the necessary elements of the drawing required for the execution of the paintings.
Finally, more recently, digital works based upon digital photography in association with digital technology special effects techniques began to be incorporated into the scope of Marcelo A De Paula’s artistic production in visual arts. The digital/graphic interference in the images, widely used for the conception of the paintings, gradually acquired a conceptual autonomy in relation to the aesthetic/visual discourse submitted exclusively, until a few years ago, to painting techniques. As of 2022, these experimental digital works have gained equal importance in Marcelo A De Paula’s artworks. Currently, digital works are regularly presented as Fine Art Prints, in terms of the quality of the supports and pigments utilized, and have been fully incorporated into Marcelo A De Paula’s visual artistic production.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS AND AUCTIONS
Auction: Two of his works included in an auction at the Errol Flynn Galeira de Arte, April 2024. The works were also reproduced in the exhibition catalog.
Auction: Two of his works included in an auction at the Errol Flynn Galeria de Arte, November 2023. The works were also reproduced in the exhibition catalog.
Auction: Two of his works included in an auction at the Errol Flynn Galeria de Arte, June 2023. The works were also reproduced in the exhibition catalog.
Solo Exhibition: “China’s Forbidden Cities – Oil Paintings and Digital Works” at the Medical Association of Minas Gerais – Espaço Cultural Otto Cirne, Belo Horizonte, Brazil – May 2nd, 2022 through May 31st, 2022.
Virtual Solo Exhibition: “China’s Forbidden Cities III” at MAPFINEARTS – Virtual Gallery, www.mapfinearts.com – April 23rd, 2022 through June 28th, 2022.
Virtual Solo Exhibition: “China’s Forbidden Cities II” at MAPFINEARTS – Virtual Gallery, www.mapfinearts.com – October 16th, 2021 through June 21st, 2021.
Virtual Solo Exhibition: “China’s Forbidden Cities I” at MAPFINEARTS – Virtual Gallery, www.mapfinearts.com – April 24th, 2021 through June 29th, 2021.
Solo Exhibition: “China: Forbidden Cities” at the Medical Association of Minas Gerais – Espaço Cultural Otto Cirne, Belo Horizonte, Brazil – June 1st, 2017 through June 30th, 2017.
Solo Exhibition at the Medical Association of Minas Gerais – Espaço Cultural Otto Cirne, Belo Horizonte, Brazil – July 1st, 2016 through July 31st, 2016.
Auction: One of his works included in an auction at the Errol Flynn Galeria de Arte, October 2015. The work was also reproduced in the exhibition catalog.
Auction: One of his works included in an auction at the Errol Flynn Galeria de Arte, April 2015. The work was also reproduced in the exhibition catalog.
Auction: One of his works included in an auction at the Errol Flynn Galeria de Arte, December 2014. The work was also reproduced in the exhibition catalog.
Solo Exhibition “Serenissima and Other Urban Spaces” at the Medical Association of Minas Gerais – Espaço Cultural Otto Cirne, Belo Horizonte, Brazil – February 3rd, 2014 through March 31st, 2014.
Solo Exhibition at the Medical Association of Minas Gerais – Espaço Cultural Otto Cirne, Belo Horizonte, Brazil – August 19th, 2002 through September 06th, 2002.
Auction: One of his works included in an auction at the Galeria Murilo Castro, June 2002. The work was also reproduced in the exhibition catalog.
FORMAL EDUCATION – ECONOMICS
Ph.D. in Economics, May 1993, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States.
M.A. in Economics, January 1989, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States.
Bachelor in Economics, December 1986, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Brazil.
FIELDS OF SPECIALIZATION IN THE Ph.D. PROGRAM
International Economics, Economic Development, and Econometrics.
PROFESSIONAL AND ACADEMIC EXPERIENCE
Conatus Consultoria & Investimentos Ltda – Asset Management – Senior Partner
(August 1997 – present)
As the General Manager and co-founder of Conatus Asset Management, Mr De Paula is responsible for the investment analysis department of the firm. Mr De Paula is also legally authorized by the Brazilian Securities Exchange Commission (CVM) to exercise portfolio management activities since 1999. Conatus was granted the authorization to operate as an asset management firm from CVM in 2003.
The company has focused its attention to manage financial resources in the Brazilian stockmarket. A completely unique investment model which incorporates an in-depth fundamental research on various industries has been developed to provide assistance in the decision-making process of asset allocation. The analytical framework extensively uses quantitative analysis as well as recognized theories in the fields of finance and econometrics in order to better structure the investment strategies.
In addition to that, Conatus’ investment methodologies are supported by robust data sources in order to create the necessary conditions for a sound understanding of the companies being considered as potential long-term investments. The economic fundamentals are viewed as key parameters for forecasting future performances and, consequently, for implementing the most efficient investment allocation.
Over the years, the investment strategies devised by Conatus have been able to generate, under controlled risks, strong results for its shareholders with long-term investments in the Brazilian stockmarket.
Investment advisory services for individuals and small firms are also provided by the firm.
Economist
(November 1996 – July 1997)
Development of a comprehensive financial modeling for the Brazilian stockmarkets using MS-Excel spreadsheets.
Involved in the elaboration of the economic and financial content of a Confidential Information Memorandum for Rádio-Beep Telecomunicações.
Localiza Rent a Car S/A – Financial Projects Manager
(February 1995 - October 1996)
Structured the long-run financial strategies for the company in the Brazilian capital markets.
In association with the ING-Barings bank, development of a complete economic and financial analysis of the business by using the Discounted Cash Flow Methodology.
Elaboration of a complete Information Memorandum for the Private Equity Placement.
Mr De Paula has also participated in the process of a legal due diligence undertaken by the law firm Pinheiro Neto Advogados.
In collaboration with the ING-Barings bank, Mr De Paula actively participated in the private equity placement of the company which intended to bring a qualified financial minority stake to support the growth prospects of the business. The financial operation was successfully concluded in 1996 and brought the Securities Corporation Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette – DLJ[1] as the new shareholder of Localiza. The private equity raised US$ 50 million and DLJ acquired 1/3 of Localiza’s common shares.[2]
Mr De Paula was also responsible, during his tenure at Localiza, for the financial elaboration of the Total Quality Program with the Brazilian government financial agency, FINEP.
After the conclusion of the private equity placement in 1996, Mr De Paula decided to quit his position at Localiza in order to start his own business in the Brazilian capital markets.
Economist
(November 1993 - January 1995)
Development of an empirical study which analized the impact of market concentration on the volatility of the Brazilian stock market. In order to evaluate the risks of stock market crashes, the study made extensive use of econometric tools.
Provided investment consulting services for investors interested in a better understanding of financial statements of publically trading companies in the Brazil’s stock exchange.
University of Illinois – Scholarship and Research Assistance
(1987-1993)
Elaboration of a PhD thesis in economics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The research project studied the inter-relationships of economic expansion and the performance of Italy’s external sector during the post-Second World War period. The research also focused its attention on the impact of the export sector in the process of industrialization of the Italian economy as well as in the transformation of the economic structure of the country in the period of 1950-1990.
In this period, Mr De Paula attended the doctorate program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
MAIN RESEARCH PAPERS
External Debt and Capital Inflow into Brazil, University of Illinois, December 1988.
Causality between Export Growth and Industrial Production: An Empirical Study for the Brazilian Economy (1971-1981), November 1989.
Commercial Policy and Growth Expansion in Italy, 1861-1913, October 1990.
Foreign Trade and Economic Expansion in Italy, 1951-1990, University of Illinois, May 1993.
Will Economic Integration Undermine the Multilateral Trading System?, March 1994.
FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Portuguese
English
French
Italian
Chinese – 普通话
OTHER ACTIVITIES
MUSIC
FORMAL EDUCATION – VIOLONCELLO
Cello studies (1978 – present);
Several University Courses in Music – Violoncello;
School of Music - University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA – (1988 – 1993);
School of Music - Federal University of Minas Gerais, Brazil – (1984 – 1986).
PERSONAL DATA
Name: Marcelo Assis De Paula
Birth Date: February 10th 1964
Place of Birth: Belo Horizonte
Nationality: Brazilian
Address: Rua Pernambuco 514 – Apto 101
Phone #: 55 31 3241-3904
Cel Phone #: 55 31 9 9916-1009
conatusci@hotmail.com
marcelo@mapfinearts.com
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