LÊDA BEYOND HER ART

The story of Leda Gontijo, the renowned sculptor from Minas Gerais, is told in a documentary

*Rio International Festival 2007

*XVI Festival of Ethnological Film Belgrade 2007

*New York International Film Festival 2008

That is the origin of the title of this documentary, Leda de Arte Leda, which was shown at the Brazilian Short Film Show - Portraits, of Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival 2007. It is directed by Daniela Gontijo, Leda’s granddaughter and admirer of this renowned artist both in Brazil and in the world.

Leda, 92 years old, brings portly shapes to generous matrons, saints, angels and animals using wood, clay, metal, concrete and fiberglass. In her atelier in the city of Lagoa Santa (MG), where she produced most of the pieces and has been living for more than 20 years, Lego (her stage name) says that intuition made her follow the steps into becoming an artist. “I have always been a self-learner”, she states. In 1944, Leda enrolled the Fine Arts School of the City Park, currently named Guignard School, studying there for two years. However, there was no teacher to give sculpture classes, exactly the classes she wanted to attend. From that time remains her friendship with the modernist painter Alberto da Veiga Guignard, that used to say she was a rookie.

Leda Gontijo was the first woman to receive Machado de Assis Medal. It was awarded by the Brazilian Academy for her works Saint Thomas Aquinas and Saint Augustine (1964). She sculpted saints to be placed in the Pantheon of the Immortals, at the Brazilian Academy, as per Austregésilo de Athaíde’s request, who was, then, President of the Institution. At the mourning ceremony of Antonio Callado, Silvana Gontijo saw that her mother’s sculptures had had their faces and hands painted black. During the production of the documentary, the Brazilian Academy was informed about it and decided to restore the sculptures.

Like Silvana, her other sons and daughters talk about their mother in a tender and funny way, just as if they were telling one more tale of the regional folklore from Minas Gerais. They awake in us the wish to meet this strong lady, who produced all the works that this documentary gradually shows the viewer.

Leda’s extroverted personality is highlighted by Daniela’s approach. She preferred not to interrupt Leda’s statements as she did not change the daily routine of the artist in a significant way. The simplicity with which this documentary shows Leda’s life is an invitation to the viewer, who may go on knowing about the artist’s life through the extras. Statements given by Leda, art critics, relatives and friends are split throughout the ten chapters that the DVD features.

More about Lêda

Leda Selmi Dei Gontijo was born in 1912, in the city of Juiz de Fora, Minas Gerais. She was born in her grandmother Maria Luiza’s house. She started sculpting in the bread crumb that was left on the dinner table by her father, who was an Italian man and used to dip bread pieces into wine. Her mother, Risoleta, soon noticed her talent to draw and to arts in general.

Leda participated of some exhibits together with other students at Guignard School. In 1980 she made an exhibit in the Palace of the Arts, in Minas Gerais. It was called “Animals and People”. In 2002, when she was 90, she was invited to an exhibit at the Fine Arts Museum in Rio de Janeiro. For this event, which started on August 19, 2003, Leda prepared a series of new pieces in wood and in soapstone. In 2005, she had another exhibit (Minas II), then at Minas Tennis Club, in Belo Horizonte.

In 1936, she married Paulo Macedo Gontijo and they had six children. Paulo passed away in 2002, soon after their 65th wedding anniversary. Leda is 92 years old and lives alone in the same house, in Lagoa Santa, where her atelier is and where she still works.