Fernando Carnaúba is a Brazilian-born painter and a faculty member at the Stanford Graduate School of Education. Holding a Ph.D. in Mathematics Education from Columbia University, his artistic practice is informed by both his Brazilian heritage and his professional work in mathematical learning.
Carnaúba’s work is deeply influenced by the Brazilian Concretist movement. His process
involves exploring simple rules and experimenting with geometric patterns, utilizing specific
rules of construction rather than pre-determined outcomes. This method allows the final artwork to emerge through a process of experimentation, mirroring the intersection of intuition and rigor found in mathematical inquiry.
For Carnaúba, painting serves as a medium to engage with the mathematical world. His work
seeks to highlight the beauty of mathematical ideas and reflects a core conviction that
mathematical thinking is a fundamental human capacity. Through his art, he aims to inspire
others to recognize and embrace their own mathematical potential.
He currently lives and works in Palo Alto, California.