Why I Paint Colourful Favelas

People often ask me why I paint Rio's favelas in such vibrant, joyful colours.

The answer is deeply personal.

I was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, where the favelas have always been part of the city's landscape and identity. Yet they are so often portrayed only through the lens of poverty or violence.

Those realities exist, but they are not the whole story.

What inspires me most is the Carioca spirit—an extraordinary ability to find joy, optimism and beauty even when life is far from easy. Music, laughter, friendship and celebration are woven into everyday life, even in the face of adversity.

That is what I try to paint.

Using a palette knife, I transform Rio's hillside favelas into vibrant mosaics of color, not to ignore reality, but to express the resilience, warmth and hope that define the people who live there.

My paintings are not documentaries; they are interpretations. They invite the viewer to look beyond stereotypes and discover another side of Rio.

I believe art has the power to change the way we see the world.

If one of my paintings encourages someone to see not only the colourful houses, but also the joyful spirit of the people who call them home, then it has achieved exactly what I hoped.

Because I don't paint favelas.

I paint the joyful spirit of the Carioca people.