Regina Macedo
Brazil
BIOGRAPHY:
Macedo was born in São Paulo, Brazil, one of six children. Her father’s job kept the family on the move, not only within Brazil but, for a few years, the family lived in Montreal, Canada. Macedo’s personal journey as an artist probably began at that point, at the age of six, when she won a children’s art contest in Canada for depicting the dangers of playing with matches and fire. From that point on, art has been her personal haven, which, according to the artist, “… has brought stability and peace within the scope of an often-hectic life”. Currently, Macedo works from her studio in Brasilia, located in the central savanna region of Brazil. She also engages in live-painting during public events in her city.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
As an artist, I am frequently awed by everyday experiences of nature´s beauty, by human struggles and expressions of hope. I am inspired by both grand impressions as well as by small and subtle details. The towering tree trunks of a tropical forest, the expressive joy in a child´s face or the jewel-like colors of a bird caught in the sunlight all bring me rewarding revelations that are equally worthy of being captured in paint. I usually use photographs of people, landscapes and animals that capture my imagination and at some point, I use these reference images to develop an imagined scenario or story, that I bring to life with oil paints. These integrated images can depict landscapes, forests, birds and flowers but I often bring people into these scenarios, looking for ways of bridging the gulf between humans and nature. I am also drawn to producing portraits that express some hidden aspect of human nature that can be captured on canvas.
* This statement has been provided directly by the artist in association to their 16th International ARC Salon entries. This content has not been edited for typos or grammatical errors and has not been vetted for accuracy.
