This debate has always occurred, even on the streets, about technical issues, equipment, use of computers and programs. I’ve always said that I joined the streets precisely because of the freedom that the streets provide, but I encountered a lot of resistance at the beginning. People thought that painting on the street had to be done with just one type of technique, just with spray paint, and I always said that what mattered was the meaning of the work, the message or why you do what you do. The technique does not make the artist better or worse, just as size or color does not make a work more significant or less important. We have very important artists with very small works. In street art, we have renowned international artists who make very small drawings. In museums, we also see very small works with relevant meaning. I’m in favor of using any material and technique – gun, brush, compressor, collage, photography, sculpture or any type of material. I think that if you have to use Photoshop or Artificial Intelligence, be happy and make your art the way you think is best. Ultimately, people will contemplate the outcome. Nobody knows about the process and what matters is the end result. More important than the technique is the feeling, emotion, meaning and history of the artist who made that work. Have I used all types of techniques, materials and supports, such as paper, wood, glass, plastic, ceiling and floor, different objects and surfaces with textures, without texture, with brick? Everything is valid, what I want is to continue painting happily. That’s what matters most.
You continue to create surprising art outside the country. Is the recognition of your name always associated with the fact that you are Brazilian or does the public abroad often not know your country of origin?
Today, about my work, I think that the meaning and the message are more important than the painting. I live in complete immersion, my whole life is linked to what I do. The paintings are true extensions of who I am. In other words, these are issues that I have experienced and want to fight and talk about. So, these themes permeate my work today, of peace, tolerance, the union of peoples, coexistence, issues of racism, violence and history as well. I have been seeking to improve and make my art available, in order to raise awareness about these themes, to ask for protection of the environment, indigenous peoples and animals. These are subjects that have worried me my entire life, and I feel moved and they touch my soul. I want to do something and my form of expression is through paintings. It was the way I found to give voice to these themes that are pertinent to values that I believe in. I believe that the opportunities to paint abroad happened organically and naturally. Today, there are 37 countries and I painted incredible places like the facade of the UN and the facade of the World Trade Center, both in New York. In the United States alone, there are currently 50 murals. I find all of this very significant, which gives me a lot of artistic freedom and a lot of possibility to expand with these messages. But I don’t believe it is a main, relevant or unique factor to paint outside my country. I am very excited and very happy to have opportunities to paint in the interior of São Paulo and in the city where I was born, which is the city of São Paulo, and several other Brazilian states. Today, at almost 50 years of age, I receive all invitations with great affection and I will understand those that I can really respond to in line with the expectations of the people who come to me.
Is there a country that you haven’t painted yet that you would like to paint and why?
There were several invitations and I continue to be invited to many places. I see everything that happened in my career as totally unexpected and unusual. When could I imagine returning 50 times with 50 murals in the North American territory, without speaking English. I thank God for all these opportunities, although the challenge is very great. I have health problems, and I also have a seven-year-old son, so traveling, staying in hotels and eating out is very complicated, but I continue to dedicate myself as much as possible. Sometimes I spend eight months away from home. But with great conscience, doing what is right too. It’s not easy to have the strength to carry on with all this responsibility. I am very excited about painting in Brazil. After having traveled all over the world, I am very interested in having opportunities to explore the national territory. I am within my means, looking to expand my work within Brazil. My goal is in that direction.
