At New York City’s iconic Pace Gallery on West 25th street in Chelsea, founded by legendary art dealer Arne Glimcher, it is Brazilian artist Beatriz Milhazes’ moment. Marking her first solo show with the Pace Gallery, and her first solo show in New York City in 10 years, “Mistura Sagrada” exhibits the artist’s grand efforts in painting and sculpture. Roughly translated as “Holy Mixture,” Beatriz Milhazes’ talents span two floors of the monumental building. In a serene gallery on the second floor, Milhazes’ immense paintings (ranging from five to nine feet wide) brim with color and energy. Combining a sophisticated, almost Léger-esque interplay of shapes with deep pigments and textures which alternate between natural, artificial, and vernacular textures, the artist’s paintings are a feast for the eyes, whether from afar or up close (where the paintings exhibit a surprising chalkiness).

Upstairs, in a sun-drenched gallery at the top of the Pace Gallery overlooking the city, the artist’s large-scale installation—entitled “Gamboa III”—hangs from the ceiling. Made from textiles, plastic, paper, plexiglass, and acrylic, the five towers are dense, packed with flowers, bulbs, and pendants, and draw on the traditional decorations that accompany the celebration of Carnival in Brazil. As the artist states: “My endearments are made of the breath and speed of the forests, the flowers, the leaves. The power of the waves, the water, the oceans. The fascinating animal shapes. The movement of the Earth’s rotation, the Sun, the Moon, day, night, the sky, global connectivity.” A sentiment that comes to life as we walk among the “Gamboa III”.