A street art painting decorates a wall in the Santa Teresa neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro.
In most cities around the world, street artists cannot paint on the sides of buildings or on city walls. However, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, artists are allowed to create street art as long as they get permission from the property owners. Rio is now becoming world-famous for its murals, or large wall paintings. These paintings have helped make parts of the city more beautiful.
Street art in Rio decorates many different parts of the city, from people’s neighborhoods to tourist destinations. Sometimes building owners hire street artists to paint their buildings. Other times, the artists ask the owners for permission to paint. Rio’s city government also gets involved by granting artists permission to paint on city walls that need repairs or are no longer being used. A half-mile-long wall near the Botanical Garden features about 400 paintings by hundreds of local artists. It is one of the largest collections of street art in the city.
Rio de Janeiro’s street artists want to make their city more beautiful. They also want to promote a stronger sense of community in the city’s neighborhoods. Lelo is a famous Rio street artist who paints colorful, fairy-tale-like images of birds, fish, and wolves. He likes to tell stories with his paintings. He also gives painting demonstrations in public schools to help get more young people interested in art.
Street artist Panmela Castro creates murals to raise awareness about women’s rights. Using bold colors, she often paints images of strong women to illustrate the messages in her work. Through her art, she is helping improve the lives of women living in the favelas, Rio’s poorest neighborhoods. In 2010, she won a Vital Voices Global Leadership Award for her work. Artists like Lelo and Castro have helped street art become a force for positive change in Rio de Janeiro.
Loading...
