Candido Portinari (1903-1962) is one of the most important and controversial Brazilian artists, and his work maintains a long-term relationship with the MASP, which features 18 works by the painter. "Portinari Popular" is part of the program that reviews the production of some the artists of Brazilian modernism, such as Tarsila do Amaral (1886-1973) and Vicente do Rego Monteiro (1899-1970), from their context and narratives related to elements of Brazilian popular culture, which include discussions on race, social reality and cultural identity of the country. Why "Portinari Popular" today? Because we suffer from a poor and biased representation of this subject and of the African, indigenous and popular cultures in the media, in politics, in society and also in art. It is necessary to deepen the reflection on these strategies, something that the work of artist anticipating, hence its urgency and relevance.