▁particularly ▁well ▁known ▁for ▁her ▁modern ▁sculpt ures . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Maria ▁de ▁L our des ▁Al ves ▁was ▁born ▁on ▁ 7 ▁August ▁ 1 8 9 4 ▁in ▁Camp anha , ▁Brazil . ▁to ▁a ▁minister ▁father ▁and ▁a ▁pian ist ▁mother . ▁Her ▁first ▁husband ▁was ▁a ▁literary ▁critic ▁named ▁Ot av io ▁Tar quin io ▁de ▁Sou za , ▁with ▁whom ▁she ▁had ▁a ▁daughter . ▁However , ▁when ▁she ▁married ▁the ▁young ▁diplom at ▁Carlos ▁Mart ins ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 6 ▁she ▁changed ▁her ▁name ▁to ▁Maria ▁Mart ins . ▁ ▁Maria ▁Mart ins ▁is ▁known ▁in ▁the ▁international ▁world ▁as ▁“ the ▁sculpt or ▁of ▁the ▁trop ics ” ▁and ▁“ the ▁great ▁sculpt or ▁of ▁Sur real ism ”. ▁ ▁Career ▁Mart ins ▁studied ▁in ▁diverse ▁ge ographical ▁locations ▁in ▁her ▁early ▁years , ▁representing ▁a ▁time ▁frame ▁ 1 8 9 4 ▁to ▁ 1 9 3 8 . ▁Her ▁initial ▁education ▁was ▁in ▁music ▁at ▁a ▁French ▁school ▁in ▁Rio ▁de ▁Janeiro , ▁purs uing ▁a ▁career ▁as ▁a ▁professional ▁music ian . ▁Early ▁in ▁her ▁first ▁marriage ▁she ▁became ▁interested ▁in ▁sculpt ure , ▁and ▁studied ▁in ▁Paris ▁under ▁Catherine ▁Bar j ans ky . ▁While ▁living ▁in ▁Japan ▁she ▁studied ▁cer am ics ▁and ▁Z en ▁philosophy ▁with ▁D . ▁T . ▁Su zu ki ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Ky oto . ▁ ▁Her ▁interest ▁in ▁sculpt ural ▁abstra ctions ▁was ▁inspired ▁by ▁simple ▁large ▁wooden ▁sculpt ures ▁of