Guilherme Lepca: Brazilian collage artist turning 1930s to 1950s print into paint
Brazilian artist Guilherme Lepca builds mixed-media compositions from newspaper and magazine clippings printed between the 1930s and 1950s. He layers these fragments with acrylic and spray paint.
Guilherme Lepca at a glance
- Nationality: Brazilian
- Lives and works in: Brazil
- Medium: Collage, acrylic, spray paint
- Known for: Collage built from 1930s to 1950s newspapers and magazines
- Education: Desenho Industrial, PUC-PR
- Notable project: Contos, Crônicas, Mentiras e Exageros
- Official website: lepca.art
Early Life and Education
Lepca studied Desenho Industrial at the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (PUC-PR). The training gave him a firm grasp of layout, visual hierarchy and graphic composition, skills that still guide how he arranges fragments on a surface.
Shepard Fairey, Peter Blake and John Baldessari shaped his interest in graphic force and visual irony. Eduardo Recife guided his move toward analogue methods, while Hélio Oiticica broadened his thinking about modular composition.
Technique and Composition
Lepca treats clippings as pigment rather than documents. Faded type and worn textures become compositional elements, not nostalgic references. Acrylic and spray paint sit over the collage and build depth across the surface.
His color stays restrained, letting pattern and typography lead. Each fragment carries similar visual weight, which resists a fixed reading order and keeps the viewer moving across the picture plane.
Key Works and Recognition
His solo exhibition Contos, Crônicas, Mentiras e Exageros opened at Barleria in Brazil, curated by Luísa Lopes. Since 2007 he has shown work in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and New York.
The Danbury Museum & Historical Society commissioned him to create a portrait of contralto Marian Anderson, who lived in Danbury for nearly fifty years. The portrait now hangs in the museum.
His design, animation and illustration studio has produced projects for Nestlé, Coca-Cola, Peugeot and Johnson & Johnson. That commercial discipline runs alongside his gallery work and its influence is visible in his clean structures.
“Art is a lie that makes us realize truth.”
Pablo Picasso
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Guilherme Lepca known for?
He is known for collage compositions built from 1930s to 1950s newspapers and magazines, combined with painting.
What materials does Lepca use?
He combines printed clippings with acrylic and spray paint, treating the fragments as pictorial matter.
Who influenced his practice?
Shepard Fairey, Peter Blake, John Baldessari, Eduardo Recife and Hélio Oiticica are among the artists who shaped his work.
Where has Lepca exhibited?
He has shown work in Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Uruguay and New York.
Does Lepca work outside fine art?
Yes. His design, animation and illustration studio has worked with Nestlé, Coca-Cola, Peugeot and Johnson & Johnson.
