Heitor dos Prazeres' paintings are centered on the representation of everyday life and the forms of sociability characteristic of the African diaspora in Rio de Janeiro. His protagonists are residents of the suburbs and favelas of Rio, depicted in moments that transcend the stigmas of poverty and precariousness. The painter, who was also a sambista and contributed to the creation of the first samba schools, bridges the visual arts and popular music, celebrating this rhythm that was persecuted, marginalized, but resisted and eventually became synonymous with Brazilian identity. Heitor found in the dialogue with modernist principles a way to translate into pictorial language the dynamism, spontaneity, and joy of samba. Heitor’s period as a painter coincides with the moment of slum and tenement eradication in the central region of Rio, which led to the expansion of the population into the suburbs and surrounding municipalities. The artist, therefore, highlights the vitality that emanates even in the face of adversity, as well as the capacity for persistence and transformation in popular culture.

His first paintings were produced in 1937. In 1951, he won third place in the national artists' category at the 1st São Paulo International Biennial with the painting Moenda, which is now part of the collection at the Museum of Contemporary Art of USP. He was awarded a special room at the 2nd São Paulo International Biennial in 1953, and participated in the 1961 and 1979 editions. In 1966, he took part in the First World Festival of Black Arts in Dakar, Senegal. He created sets and costumes for the IV Centenary Ballet of São Paulo. In 1999, a retrospective of his work was held at the BNDES Space and the National Museum of Fine Arts (MNBA) in honor of his centenary. In 2023, a major retrospective of his work was presented at the CCBB in Rio de Janeiro. Throughout his artistic career, he held six solo exhibitions and more than 30 group shows.