Untitled

Woodcut print on Werkdruck paper (Edition of 12), 60 x 50 cm, €550

I spent my childhood discovering nature—playing in the woods, chasing wild animals, climbing trees, and jumping from them into the river. We made our own toys from things we found—an old bicycle tire could become a pull cart. At night, we sat on the sidewalk listening to fairytales and other fantastic stories the adults told us. It was a happy childhood.

This piece is from Dreams and Memories, a series of 25 woodcuts I made to honor my beloved hometown of Caxias in Brazil’s Maranhão State. Caxienses are very religious and superstitious people, practicing traditions that come from Yoruba African, indigenous, and Portuguese cultures. The exhibition was held in Palacete do Senhor Alderico Silva—the “small palace” of Mr. A. Silva, Caxias’ richest man—a place of fear and curiosity for us.