Maria Martins (Brazil, 1894–1973) is a fundamental artist in the history of Brazilian modernism, in the panorama of international surrealism and in the global history of art in the 20 th century. She is known for her bronze sculptures, drawings and engravings depicting hybrid female figures, as well as Afro-Brazilian and Amerindian mythologies. Married to a diplomat, the artist spent a good part of her career abroad, dividing herself between her artistic practice and her civic life. In the 1940s, Martins lived in Washington DC and New York City, where she participated in the vibrant local art scene and saw her works incorporated into important US collections, such as the MoMA, the Metropolitan and others. In 1950, Martins returned to Brazil definitively and played a fundamental role in the internationalization of institutions such as the Bienal de São Paulo and the Museu de Arte Moderna do Rio de Janeiro (MAM Rio), in addition to having her works incorporated into the collections of MA
