Anita Malfatti

Born with a congenital atrophy in her right arm, Anita Malfatti (1889–1964) trained herself to paint with her left hand, studying in Berlin and New York. Her bold use of non-naturalistic color, distorted planes, and raw brushwork in portraits like 'O Homem Amarelo' ('The Yellow Man') shocked Brazil's academic art establishment.

Her December 1917 exhibition was viciously attacked by conservative critic Monteiro Lobato, prompting younger avant-garde artists to rally to her defense and organize the watershed 1922 Week of Modern Art. She later taught and mentored generations of Brazilian artists.