Abelardo was born in Alagoas state. He was a single man who attended drawing classes at the Liceu de Artes e Ofícios (The Arts and Crafts Liceum) and worked as a professional draughtsman. At age 17 he started to dedicate himself to boxing and won some prizes. He began to attend the painting and sculpture ateliers in 1946.

Unlike other participants, Abelardo was not a layperson, and he was generous in helping his companions in the studio. Despite being a painter and draughtsman, his work undoubtedly reached its pinnacle with the modellings he produced in a studio located close to nature, at the hospital, which he considered to be his home.