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Christian Cravo: 25 Years of Bahia, Brazil

Christian Cravo 25 Years

Christian Cravo: 25 Years at Throckmorton Fine Art January 14 – February 27, 2016 was a fine art exhibition and book launch by one of the great Brazilian photographers.

The exhibition provided a rich insider’s look at the people of Bahia in northeast Brazil.

Cravo is an unusually young photographer at Throckmorton Fine Art. Given Throckmorton’s eye, we predict that Cravo, who is already internationally known, will have a long and illustrious career.

Christian Cravo

Cravo is a fairly young photographer who has built an impressive body of work. Perhaps he got a head start by being part of an artistic family. Cravo is the son of Brazilian photographer Mario Cravo and the grandson of a sculptor.

Christian was born in Salvador, Bahia, in northeast Brazil. Salvador is one of the great centers of Brazilian culture. At age 7, Cravo’s Danish mother took him to live in Denmark. This gave the young artist the experience of “Saudade,” a longing for far-away family and loved ones which is quintessentially Brazilian.

In Denmark Cravo built a darkroom where he spent most of his teenage years. Traveling around the Brazilian Northeast for two years gave Christian a love and sensitivity for his home country and its people. It also led to a Guggenheim Fellowship.

“TWENTY FIVE YEARS” is Christian Cravo’s fifth book, but it really could be viewed as his first,” said art dealer Spencer Throckmorton. “The photographs here achieve Cravo’s goal to “explore humanity” in ways less talented photographers can’t help but envy. No photographer of his generation brings such a wealth of experiences in as diverse cultures and locales, and none has received the recognition Cravo has been awarded. Throckmorton Fine Art is delighted to have represented Cravo for the past twenty years and to be the first to present TWENTY FIVE YEARS.”

Christian Cravo (right) talks with his printer about getting it just right

Christian Cravo Books

Cravo has published several books that have become popular with collectors.

  1. “Irredentos” (2000, Autrement) portrays life in the Brazilian countryside
  2. “Rome noire, ville métisse” features black culture in Bahia
  3. “The Gardens of Eden” (2010) explores the culture of Haiti
  4. “enlightened Exú” is a retrospective of the work of Christian’s grandfather Mário Cravo Junior
  5. “Twenty-five Years” is a retrospective of Christian’s work.

Art dealer Spencer Throckmorton contemplates with Argentine photographer Aldo Sessa

Ximena Ojeda, Christian Cravo, Lucia Maria Maiera, Beatriz Canepa Barbosa d’ Alessandro, & Spencer Throckmorton

Inside a Christian Cravo photograph
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