the street is our gallery

When it comes to depiction of natural beauty, Brasilian artist Thiago Mazza is the man you want to get inspired from. Enjoy his latest mural in Lisbon, Portugal, for MURO LX festival, made during June/2021.

”When I was invited to paint at the MURO LX festival in Lisbon, I immediately thought of making my tropical plants. But my immersion in the Ericeira region because of the mandatory quarantine made me change my mind. There I got in touch with the nature of the region, climbed mountains and went down to the sea cataloging all the plants that I found interesting, that aroused my attention due to their color or shape. I soon realized the challenge that would lie ahead: instead of the predominant green with vivid colours interspersing present on the tropical flora, in Portugal I found something different, the colours were much more contrasting, the fields were filled with yellow, purple dots, reds … as I got closer, the amount of detail increased. I was used to painting dense foliage, rigid and large flowers, I was lost in the amount of petals, thorns and lights that formed in a single flower in the field. The green so present in my compositions, shy there, was mixed with the gold and yellow, a mere supporting role that supported an explosion of cores and shapes that were enhanced by the beautiful yellow light of late afternoon in Portugal.”

Of all the plants chosen, one is the main star, a wild artichoke, also known as Cardo. She is represented at the beginning and end of the mural, in two stages of her life. In addition to the thorny shape that creates incredible contrasts of light and shadow, this plant makes a lot of sense with the history I have with Lisbon. “Tradition has it that your flower is burned during the Midsummer Solstice, as once immersed in cold water it will bloom again. From ashes to ashes, the artichoke manifests in itself the eternal return, the denial of death, the resurrection.”

Thiago Mazza (BRA)
“untitled” – 24X9m, painted with acrylics.
Lisbon, june 2021.

www.thiagomazza.com.br / instagram.com/mazzolandia