Salvador, BA, Brazil, 1967
Lives and works in Salvador, Brazil
Nádia Taquary channels the rich cultural currents of pre-colonial Africa, invoking the “protagonism of the black feminine” as a guiding principle in her artistic practice. Her sculptures and installations serve as conduits of ancestral wisdom, imbued with the vibrant hues and symbolic motifs of African cosmologies. At the heart of her Oríkì series lies a profound homage to Yorubá culture, where sculptural hairstyles transcend mere adornment to become embodiments of ancestral reverence and contemporary empowerment (Ori means “head” and ki means “praise”). Through her Dinkas Orixás series and the evocative Yabás sculptures, Taquary masterfully captures the essence of sacred traditions and warrior spirits, bridging the gap between past and present, tradition and innovation. The artist also seeks to question and deconstruct the eugenic, Eurocentric and patriarchal narratives that have long limited important access to knowledge and understanding related to the rich legacy of African cultures.
In 2023, she presented her acclaimed solo exhibition “Ònà Irin: Caminho de Ferro” at the Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR), in Rio de Janeiro. The show has already travelled to the Museu Nacional da Cultura Afro-Brasileira in Salvador (BA) and is currently on view at Sesc Belenzinho, in São Paulo. More recently, in 2024, the artist took part in the 24th Biennale of Sydney. In 2025, she participates in the 36th Bienal de São Paulo, where she presents the commissioned installation “The cosmic tree”. She has also presented a commissioned work in the exhibition “Formas das Águas” at the Museum of Modern Art (MAM) in Rio de Janeiro and participated in the 15th Bienal de La Habana in Cuba. Taquary was also featured in the group exhibition “Musafiri”, at Haus der Kulturen der Welt (HKW) in Berlin, Germany; in “Spiritual Form”, a group show centred on the legacy of Mestre Didi at El Museo del Barrio in New York, USA, curated by Rodrigo Moura; and at the Bienal Internacional de Arte de Antioquia y Medellín.
Recent group shows include: “Red Atlantic”, Palais des Nations, Geneva, Switzerland (2024); “Dos Brasis”, Sesc Belenzinho, São Paulo, SP; and Sesc Quitandinha, Petrópolis, RJ, Brazil (2023–2024); “Um Defeito de Co”r, Museu de Arte do Rio (MAR), Rio de Janeiro, RJ; and Sesc Pinheiros, São Paulo, SP, Brazil (2023–2024); “The Precious Life of a Liquid Heart”, Institute for Studies on Latin American Art, New York, USA (2023); among others.
Graduated in Vernacular Literature and specialized in Education, Aesthetics, Semiotics and Culture, from the Federal University of Bahia.
Her works are part of important national and international institutional collections, such as: Pérez Art Museum Miami (PAAM), USA; New York Museum of Art and Design (MAD), USA; Institute for Studies on Latin American Art, New York (ISLAA), USA; Pinacoteca de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil; Inhotim, Brumadinho, Minas Gerais, Brazil; Museu de Arte do Rio – MAR, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil; Museu de Arte Moderna da Bahia – MAM/BA, Bahia, Brazil.
