Maxwell Alexandre: Sanctuary and the Shadow of its Walls

Delfina Foundation is pleased to present Sanctuary and the Shadow of its Walls, the first institutional solo exhibition in the UK by Brazilian artist Maxwell Alexandre. Marking a pivotal evolution in his practice, the exhibition unveils a series of newly commissioned oil paintings on pardo paper and linen alongside site-specific scenography, contemplating what it means to seek sanctuary and how fragile a sanctuary's boundaries can be.

Over the past five years, Alexandre has been developing an ambitious painting series Clube (Club), shifting his focus from Black figurative works depicting the vibrant scenes in his community to the everyday life inside Clube de Regatas do Flamengo—a prestigious multi-sports club in Rio de Janeiro. Perched in Gávea, beside the Rocinha favela where Alexandre grew up, Flamengo offers a strikingly different sense of calm and order.

At Delfina Foundation, the artist transforms its basement gallery into an immersive, almost theatrical haven. His works weave together architectural details, the subtle social choreography of bathers, and the formal play between sun and shadow. In doing so, Alexandre invites us to ponder: What does it mean to build a place of safety in a turbulent world? Which lives might be sheltered within it? And what lingers at its threshold, in the shadow of its walls?

Artist biography

Born in 1990 in Rio de Janeiro, Maxwell Alexandre is one of the most celebrated contemporary artists in Brazil today. Raised in an evangelical household, Alexandre competed as a professional skater and fulfilled military service, knowledge that fundamentally sustains his artistic output. He graduated in Design at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio de Janeiro (PUC-RJ) in 2016. In 2018, he received the São Sebastião de Cultura Award from Cultural Association of the Archdiocese of Rio de Janeiro in the category of Plastic Arts. That same year, he participated in an artistic residency at the Delfina Foundation in London. In 2020, he won the prestigious PIPA Prize and participated in an artistic residency at the Al Maaden Museum of Contemporary African Art (MACAAL) in Marrakech, Morocco, resulting in an installation for the group exhibition HAVE YOU SEEN A HORIZON LATELY at the same institution. The following year, he was named Artist of the Year by the Deutsche Bank and listed as one of the top 35 avant-garde artists by Artsy. In 2023, he was awarded Man of the Year in the Culture category by GQ magazine. Also in 2023, the first Pavilhão Maxwell Alexandre was inaugurated in São Cristóvão, followed by the second Pavilhão in the favela of Rocinha, both in Rio de Janeiro. From March to June of the subsequent year, the Pavilhão Maxwell Alexandre 3 was held at the Museu Histórico da Cidade, Rio de Janeiro, featuring the series Clube.

Alexandre has held solo exhibitions in Brazilian and international institutions and galleries, at the Sesc Avenida Paulista in São Paulo, and at the Museu Histórica da Cidade, in Rio de Janeiro, in 2024, and La Casa Encendida, Madrid. His 2021 solo exhibition at the Palais de Tokyo in Paris was followed by his solo show Pardo é Papel at The Shed, New York, in 2022. In 2020, Alexandre presented a solo exhibition, Pardo é Papel: Close a door to open a window, at David Zwirner, London.

His work is included in the collections of the Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, the Museu de Arte de São Paulo, the Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro, the Museu de Arte do Rio, Museo Reina Sofia, Musée d’art contemporain de Lyon, and Guggenheim Abu Dhabi.

Public programming

Guided tour and breakfast with curator Erin Li: Saturday, October 25, 10–11am
Guided tour by curator Erin Li: Thursday, November 20, 6:30–7:30pm

Credits

The exhibition is supported by the Maxwell Alexandre Exhibition Circle with the generous support of Almeida & Dale.