Bruna Massadas: Sun Flower

de boer (Los Angeles) is pleased to announce the solo exhibition of Brazilian-born artist Bruna Massadas. In Massadas’ first exhibition with de boer, the Bozeman, Montana-based artist presents a selection of small and larger-scale works evoking art historical antecedents from Claude Monet, Georgia O’Keefe, and Hilma af Klint. Sun Flower is a play on the teachings of Thich Nhat Hanh, who emphasized mindfulness, interconnection, and compassion as pathways to inner peace and a more harmonious world.

Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1985, Massadas has developed a distinctive style that merges the tropical vistas of her native Brazil with the volcanic formations of her current surroundings in Montana. Massadas’ paintings envision a world of abundant space and color, yet also one of solitude and introspection. This duality invites viewers into a meditative exploration of both external and internal landscapes.

By exploring themes of nature, abstraction, and personal expression, Massadas magnifies her subjects—volcanos, landscapes, sunsets —inviting viewers to see them in new ways, beyond their conventional interpretations. Her work often distills complex natural elements into simplified yet deeply evocative forms, emphasizing the interplay between light, shadow, and space. Sensuality and vitality are highlighted by reimagining these delicate organic structures as powerful, almost abstract compositions.

Massadas' work also delves into the philosophical insight of inter-being, where all things arise and endure in relation to one another. Her experience of giving birth profoundly reshaped her perception of self. She describes this transformation: "The experience challenged my definition of 'self.' To me, the self now expanded beyond my body: my skin was now a bridge between 'me' and the outside world. The idea of inter-being never felt so right. I wanted to explore my inter-being visually, with painting." In a time of cultural and political division, this exhibition offers a timely reflection on our dependence on one another and the fluid boundaries of identity and existence.