Pedro Motta graduated in Drawing at Fine Arts School of the Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG) in 2002. He began his artistic activity researching the relations between city and individual; then expanding his interest in environmental issues and the clash between nature and culture.
Recent solo exhibitions include: Estado de Natureza, Centro Cultural FIESP, São Paulo (2019); Jardim do Ócio, Galeria Luisa Strina São Paulo (2018), Naufrágio calado, Bendana-Pinel Art Contemporain, Paris (2018), Natureza das coisas, 9º BES Photo, Museu Coleção Berardo, Lisboa (2013) e Reacción natural, Centro de Exposiciones Subte, Montevideo (2011).
Recent group shows include: Past/Future/Present, Phoenix Art Museum (2017); Feito poeira ao vento – fotografia na Coleção MAR, Museu de Arte do Rio (2017); Les imaginaires d’un monde intranquille, Centre d’Art Contemporain de Meymac (2017); Soulèvements, Jeu de Paume (Paris, 2016); TRIO Biennal, Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil do Rio de Janeiro (2015); 18º Festival Sesc_Videobrasil – Panoramas do Sul, São Paulo (2013); 1ª Bienal de Fotografia do Masp, São Paulo (2013); Panorama da Arte Brasileira, Museu de Arte Moderna de São Paulo (2011); Peso y Levedad, Photoespaña, Instituto Cervantes, Madrid (2011); 2ª Bucharest Biennale (2006); and Contemporary Brazilian Photography, Neue Berliner (2006).
Motta was awarded the 6th Marcantônio Vilaça Prize (2017), Bolsa ICCo/SP-Arte (2015), the Flora ars+natura residency (2013), the 9th BES Photo Museu Coleção Berardo (2011), the Ibram Contemporary Art Prize (2011) and Residency Unlimited/New York (2011).
His work is part of collections such as: MAM-SP; MAM-RJ; MAM-BA; MASP; Sesc-SP; MAR-RJ; Museu Coleção Berardo (Lisbon); Centro de Fotografia de La Intendencia de Montevideo; Musée d’Art Modern et Contemporain, Liége, Bélgica and Itaú Cultural. In 2010, the book Temprano was launched (Funarte), a retrospective of more than ten years of work. In 2018, Ubu publishing house released the book Nature of Things, which gathers his recent artistic trajectory.