--- title: "Art Beyond Boundaries Comes to Brazil: Sumi-e at the Federal Senate (2026 Report)" description: Art Beyond Boundaries – Brazil brought about 80 artists from 23 countries to Brazil's Federal Senate in 2026. How it began, its six-biome theme and the free catalogue. image: https://www.sumieart.art/hubfs/venue-1.jpg --- [Ensō円 相](https://www.sumieart.art/) [Article](https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog?hsLang=en) [About](https://www.sumieart.art/en/about?hsLang=en) [JA](https://www.sumieart.art/blog/abb2026-brazil) / [EN](https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog/art-beyond-boundaries-brazil-2026) [Article](https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog) — Suiboku # Art Beyond Boundaries Comes to Brazil: Sumi-e at the Federal Senate (2026 Report) Art Beyond Boundaries – Brazil brought about 80 artists from 23 countries to Brazil's Federal Senate in 2026. How it began, its six-biome theme and the free catalogue. 2026.10.18 ![Ribbon cutting at the opening of Art Beyond Boundaries – Brazil (courtesy of the International Association of SUMI)](https://www.sumieart.art/hubfs/venue-1.jpg) Ribbon cutting at the opening of Art Beyond Boundaries – Brazil (courtesy of the International Association of SUMI) From 30 September to 8 October 2026, the Federal Senate of Brazil in Brasília hosted Art Beyond Boundaries – Brazil: Diversities in Dialogue, an exhibition of Japanese painting. About 80 artists from 23 countries, including Japan and Brazil, took part, and a group of works painting Brazil's six biomes in ink was shown alongside them. Art Beyond Boundaries, the international exhibition held in Tokyo, travelled to Borja in Spain in April 2026 and then on to Brazil. Drawing on the official pages and the exhibition catalogue, this report explains what the Brazil edition was, how it came about and what was on show. In this article: - The dates, venue and artists of the Brazil exhibition - What the ABB in Your Country project is - How the Brazil edition began, and why it centred on six biomes - The opening ceremony and Tohun Kobayashi's message - What is inside the free catalogue ## Art Beyond Boundaries Comes to Brazil: The Exhibition at a Glance ### Dates, venue and organisers | Item | Details | | --- | --- | | Title | Art Beyond Boundaries – Brazil: Diversities in Dialogue (Portuguese: Arte Além das Fronteiras – Brasil: Diversidades em Diálogo) | | Dates | 30 September – 8 October 2026 (now closed) | | Venue | Ivandro Cunha Lima Cultural Space, Federal Senate of Brazil, Brasília | | Co-organisers | Instituto Sumi-e Brasil and the International Association of SUMI | | Artists | About 80 artists from 23 countries, including Japan and Brazil | (Source: [Art Beyond Boundaries in Brazil, official page](https://sumi-e.net/in-your-country/brazil)) ### About 80 artists from 23 countries The official page describes the show as an exhibition of Japanese painting. The poster lists 80 artists from Japan, Brazil and 21 other countries, together with three words: Sumi-e, Suibokuga and Nihonga. Works made with what the catalogue calls the traditional techniques of Japanese ink painting came together in one hall from across many borders. Another line on the poster reads "6 Biomas de Infinitas Conexões para o Mundo", or six biomes of infinite connections to the world. Brazil's own nature was the thread that ran through the exhibition. ![The exhibition poster. Over an ink painting of a giant anteater, it gives the title, the venue at the Federal Senate of Brazil, 80 artists from Japan, Brazil and 21 other countries, and the dates 30 September to 8 October 2026](https://www.sumieart.art/hubfs/poster.jpg) The exhibition poster / Courtesy of the International Association of SUMI ## What Is ABB in Your Country? ### A project born from the participants' wishes The International Association of SUMI organises Art Beyond Boundaries on the belief that a love for art and beauty transcends borders and generational divides. The exhibition is a platform for art from around the world, mainly sumi-e, and a place to build warm friendships through artistic exchange. ABB in Your Country was created in response to strong requests from participants in ABB in Tokyo who wanted to promote sumi-e in their own countries. Through it, the association supports artists who are spreading sumi-e around the world ([ABB in Your Country, official page](https://sumi-e.net/in-your-country)). The Brazil exhibition is the first one listed on the project's page. ### From Tokyo to Borja to Brasília In January 2026, Art Beyond Boundaries 2026 was held at The National Art Center, Tokyo. Tohun Kobayashi's live painting of Mount Fuji and pine trees on a folding screen at the award ceremony is covered in [Art Beyond Boundaries 2026: Tohun Kobayashi's live painting](https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog/art-beyond-boundaries-2026-live-painting). In April the same year, Art Beyond Boundaries in Borja, SPAIN 2026 opened in the town of Borja in north-eastern Spain; we reported on it in [Sumi-e in Spain: Inside the 2026 Borja Exhibition](https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog/ink-art-exhibition-borja-spain-en). Then, from September to October, the Brazil exhibition took place in Brasília. Artists who took part in Tokyo are now holding sumi-e exhibitions in their own countries. ## How the Brazil Edition Began: From a Giant Anteater to Six Biomes ### Hiromi Takano and Instituto Sumi-e Brasil The general coordinator of the Brazil exhibition was Hiromi Takano, founder and president of Instituto Sumi-e Brasil. According to her profile in the catalogue, she is the granddaughter of Japanese immigrants who came to Brazil in the early 20th century, and she first encountered sumi-e and Japanese culture through her grandparents. A visual artist, writer and psychologist, she researches the traditional Japanese arts of sumi-e, suibokuga and nihonga in Brazil, and she has built up a series of exhibitions and books: - 2021: Exposição Interativa de Sumi-e, an interactive sumi-e exhibition - 2022: Shikunshi do Cerrado (The Four Gentlemen of the Cerrado) - 2024: Denshō: o Caminho do Sumi-e no Brasil (Denshō: The Way of Sumi-e in Brazil), an exhibition and book with a preface by Teiji Hayashi, then Japanese Ambassador to Brazil and himself a painter - 2025: Recortes do Cerrado (Fragments of the Cerrado), an exhibition and book ### A prize in Tokyo, then an exhibition in Brazil In an essay in the catalogue, Takano looks back on how the Brazil edition began. She exhibited Tamanduá-bandeira (Giant Anteater) at Art Beyond Boundaries at The National Art Center, Tokyo. A work from Recortes do Cerrado, it keeps the aesthetics of Japanese ink painting while depicting the wildlife and landscape of the Cerrado, one of Brazil's six biomes. It received a Certificate of Honor and the International Art Award. She then took part in the edition in Borja, Spain. Building on these experiences, Takano planned an edition of Art Beyond Boundaries in Brazil. Encouraged by the response to Giant Anteater, Takano expanded the idea behind Recortes do Cerrado to all six of Brazil's biomes. The result was Diversities in Dialogue, an exhibition presenting Brazil's nature through the techniques of sumi-e, suibokuga and nihonga. After a showing at the Legislative Chamber of the Federal District, Recortes do Cerrado moved to the Federal Senate and became part of Art Beyond Boundaries. ### The Four Gentlemen of the Cerrado One of Takano's ideas is the Four Gentlemen of the Cerrado. The Four Gentlemen of East Asian painting, plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum, are reimagined with plants native to the Cerrado: colestenia, taquari, caliandra and cagaiteira. Why the original four became the classic subjects of ink painting is explained in [The Four Gentlemen of Ink Painting](https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog/four-gentlemen-sumi-e). The subject changes, but the foundation of painting with gradations of ink and the movement of the brush stays the same. In her essay, Takano names contemplation, simplicity, balance, respect for nature and an awareness of impermanence as the values of sumi-e. Former Ambassador Teiji Hayashi has called her "the heir of sumi-e". ## Highlights: Six Biomes and a Former Ambassador's Work ### From the Amazon to the Pampa The exhibition was built around Brazil's six biomes. In his message in the catalogue, Senator Chico Rodrigues of the Federal Senate wrote of his deep pride at seeing all six, the Amazon, Caatinga, Cerrado, Pantanal, Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica) and Pampa, portrayed through the delicate art of sumi-e. He also touched on the long and friendly relationship between Brazil and Japan. In his words, the sumi-e tradition, grounded in balanced brushwork, respectful contemplation and harmony with the environment, has crossed borders and become a common language for the artists gathered from around the world. According to the official page, the works themed on the six biomes were shown alongside the other entries. ![At the venue. Visitors talk in front of ink paintings displayed on black panels, next to the flags of Japan and Brazil](https://www.sumieart.art/hubfs/venue-2.jpg) At the venue / Courtesy of the International Association of SUMI ### A special display of work by former Ambassador Teiji Hayashi Work by Teiji Hayashi, former Japanese Ambassador to Brazil, was also given a special display. According to the catalogue, Hayashi has been a career diplomat with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan since 1988 and served as Ambassador to Brazil from 2021 to 2025. He began practising Chinese ink painting after he was posted to the Japanese Embassy in Beijing in 2014. ![Two ink paintings mounted as hanging scrolls, one of wisteria and a fish and one of a walking tiger, with a man in a suit standing beside them](https://www.sumieart.art/hubfs/venue-3.jpg) Hanging scrolls on display / Courtesy of the International Association of SUMI ### Three galleries: Brazil, Japan and International Part II of the catalogue, The Exhibition, opens with the curatorial core and then presents the works and profiles of the artists in three sections: the Brazil Gallery, the Japan Gallery and the International Gallery. It lets you follow some 80 artists from 23 countries, region by region. ## The Opening Ceremony and Tohun Kobayashi's Message ### Guests at the opening The opening ceremony welcomed many guests, including Japanese Ambassador Yasushi Noguchi, Senator Damares Alves, and figures from cultural and government circles (official page). ![The opening ceremony. Guests applaud after the ribbon cutting, in front of ink paintings of a jaguar, birds and palm trees](https://www.sumieart.art/hubfs/venue-1.jpg) The opening ceremony / Courtesy of the International Association of SUMI ![Opening remarks. A man reads from his notes at a lectern beside the flags of Japan and Brazil](https://www.sumieart.art/hubfs/venue-4.jpg) Opening remarks / Courtesy of the International Association of SUMI ### The video message A video message from Tohun Kobayashi, President of the International Association of SUMI, was also released (about two minutes). ### Words from the catalogue In his message for the catalogue, Kobayashi writes that art, beyond technique or style, is an expression of how people relate to the world. When the participating artists portray the presence of life through gradations of ink and the movement of the brush, a sense of empathy arises that can cross national and cultural borders. That, he writes, is the spirit of this exhibition: to promote cultural cooperation, strengthen environmental awareness and encourage dialogue for a sustainable future. The official page expresses the hope that this place of cultural exchange will serve as a bridge between Brazil and Japan and help sumi-e reach even more people in Brazil. A Brazilian contribution to the catalogue notes that 2026 also marked 118 years of Japanese immigration to Brazil. ## Read the Catalogue for Free The exhibition catalogue is available as a free PDF on sumi-e.net (two-page spreads, about 21 MB). Besides the works and profiles of about 80 artists in Portuguese, it contains four essays. The English titles below are our translations. - A Amazônia que Habita em Nós (The Amazon That Dwells in Us) - Arte e Diplomacia Cultural entre Brasil e Japão (Art and Cultural Diplomacy between Brazil and Japan) - O Traço Invisível da Paz (The Invisible Line of Peace) - Natureza, Cultura e Poética dos Biomas Brasileiros (Nature, Culture and Poetics of the Brazilian Biomes) You can read the catalogue here: - [Download the catalogue (PDF, about 21 MB)](https://sumi-e.net/static/Art-Beyond-Boundaries-Brazil-2026.pdf) - [Art Beyond Boundaries in Brazil, official page](https://sumi-e.net/in-your-country/brazil) ![The catalogue cover. An ink painting of a giant anteater, with the exhibition title, the author's name and the name of Tohun Kobayashi, who wrote the preface](https://www.sumieart.art/hubfs/image-1792323383721.jpg) The catalogue cover / Courtesy of the International Association of SUMI ## FAQ ### Q. When and where was Art Beyond Boundaries – Brazil held? From 30 September to 8 October 2026 at the Ivandro Cunha Lima Cultural Space of the Federal Senate of Brazil in Brasília. It was co-organised by Instituto Sumi-e Brasil and the International Association of SUMI, and about 80 artists from 23 countries, including Japan and Brazil, took part. ### Q. What is ABB in Your Country? It is a project of the International Association of SUMI, created in response to strong requests from ABB in Tokyo participants who wanted to promote sumi-e in their own countries. It supports artists who are spreading sumi-e around the world. The Brazil exhibition is the first one listed on the project's official page. ### Q. What are Brazil's six biomes? The Amazon, Caatinga, Cerrado, Pantanal, Atlantic Forest (Mata Atlântica) and Pampa. Hiromi Takano built the exhibition around them, painting Brazil's nature with the techniques of sumi-e, suibokuga and nihonga. ### Q. Can I see the catalogue? Yes. The catalogue PDF (in Portuguese, two-page spreads, about 21 MB) is free on sumi-e.net. It contains the works and profiles of about 80 artists and four essays. ### Q. When is the next Art Beyond Boundaries? Art Beyond Boundaries 2027 runs in Tokyo from 21 to 31 January 2027 at The National Art Center, Tokyo, Gallery 2A (closed on 26 January). The opening is on 21 January at 14:00, and the award ceremony and lecture are on 23 January. ## Summary: Next Stop, Tokyo - Art Beyond Boundaries – Brazil: Diversities in Dialogue was held at the Federal Senate of Brazil from 30 September to 8 October 2026, with about 80 artists from 23 countries - It was an exhibition of the International Association of SUMI's ABB in Your Country project, as Art Beyond Boundaries spread from Tokyo to Borja and Brasília - Hiromi Takano, who had exhibited in Tokyo, planned the Brazil edition and built it around Brazil's six biomes - Work by former Ambassador Teiji Hayashi was given a special display, and the Japanese Ambassador and a senator attended the opening - The catalogue is free to read on sumi-e.net The next edition, Art Beyond Boundaries 2027, opens at The National Art Center, Tokyo, on 21 January 2027. If you are new to sumi-e, [Sumi-e for Beginners](https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog/sumi-e-for-beginners) is a good place to start. The official Art Beyond Boundaries Instagram ([@art\_beyond\_boundaries](https://www.instagram.com/art_beyond_boundaries/)) shares an exhibited work every day. ## RelatedArticle ### [![How to Paint a Sumi-e Landscape: Near, Middle and Far Distance in Ink](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/rTkcLsG1eEA/maxresdefault.jpg) Suiboku / Japanese Art / Sumie How to Paint a Sumi-e Landscape: Near, Middle and Far Distance in Ink](https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog/how-to-paint-landscape-sumi-e) ### [![How to Paint Chrysanthemums in Sumi-e: Layered Petals, Leaves & Small Flowers](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/v_N5jWnF09E/maxresdefault.jpg) Suiboku / Japanese Art / Sumie How to Paint Chrysanthemums in Sumi-e: Layered Petals, Leaves & Small Flowers](https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog/how-to-paint-chrysanthemum-sumi-e) ### [![Hokusai's Daily Exorcisms: The Lions He Painted Almost Every Morning in His Eighties](https://www.sumieart.art/hubfs/93744.LL.jpg) Suiboku / Japanese Art / Sumie Hokusai's Daily Exorcisms: The Lions He Painted Almost Every Morning in His Eighties](https://www.sumieart.art/en/blog/hokusai-daily-exorcisms) ![Jin](https://www.sumieart.art/hubfs/IMG_3607-2.jpg) Jin Sumi-e Artist Jin is a sumi-e artist and calligrapher whose practice brings Western calligraphy into dialogue with the Japanese tradition of ink painting. In Jin's work, letterforms, brushed lines, and ma — the resonant negative space at the heart of sumi-e — come together in compositions that speak across cultures. This East–West synthesis grounds an ongoing exploration of artistic possibilities that reach beyond cultural boundaries. Jin currently serves as a Director of the International Association of SUMI, and was recently honored with the Special Jury Award — the Arisumi Mitamura Prize — at Art Beyond Boundaries. Rooted in tradition yet attentive to the present, Jin continues to share a contemporary vision of sumi-e with audiences around the world. Ensō A bilingual platform dedicated to the aesthetic sensibility of Japan through the art of ink painting. 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