Alex Senna paints the world as we feel it

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I have always admired certain artists’ ability to reflect life, not as it is, but as we perceive it; where emotions are more indicative of how we view the world than our senses. That’s what art is all about, right? Feeling something.

Alex Senna is an artist and illustrator from São Paulo, whose expressive, lanky characters bring a softness to their urban setting. These characters and their interactions typically revolve around love and relationships, whether it be a romance between an elderly couple, playful young lovers or sentiments of a lasting friendship. Senna’s works invite their audiences into these intimate interactions and evoke a feeling of nostalgia.

Much like Know Hope, Senna uses universal symbols such as hearts, birds, raindrops, and musical notes in his street work. Typically using just black and white, his murals treat walls like the frames of a comic book, and the interactions between his characters feel equally animated.

Senna has done artwork for Nike, Adidas, and a window display for Hermès. Last year he participated in “Shoot For the Moon” in Miami during Art Basel, which was his first international festival. He later put up a whopping 30 murals in London in 40 days. Hopefully that creative energy persists and we’ll see more work from Alex in the future.

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Photos by Alex Senna

Recent works from Lelo

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Lelo in Sao Paulo

Lelo from Rio de Janeiro claims to have been apart of the street art scene since 1998. Recently, he’s been getting up a bit around Brazil and Argentina. Here are a few flicks from those recent excursions.

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Lelo in Rio de Janeiro
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Lelo in Buenos Aires
lelo + elliot tupac - buenos aires, argentina
Lelo and Elliot Tupac in Buenos Aires

Photos by Lelo

Friends with skills in São Paulo

Nick Alive appears to be fairly skilled with a can. Nick Alive appears to be fairly skilled at making friends; friends with striking artistic ability. The result of all this is a mad display of the talent in São Paulo, Brazil. Fortunately for me, the documentation of Nick’s numerous collaborative pieces have networked much of this skilled community.

Nick Alive and Shock

 

Nick Alive and Graphis
Nick Alive and Peko
Nick Alive, Shock Maravilha, and Nem in Sao Paulo

Photos by Nick Alive

Cranio’s Impish Indians in São Paulo

Like Mundano’s characters, Cranio’s impish — mostly blue — Indians seem to surface unexpectedly throughout São Paulo. Here are a few we encountered:

w/Ethos, photo by Sara Mozeson, August 2010
photo by Lois Stavsky, July 2011
photo by Sara Mozeson, July 2011
photo by Lois Stavsky, July 2011

Mundano’s quasi-monstrous creatures surface throughout São Paulo & more

Often exuding a playful social consciousness, Mundano’s delightful quasi-monsters surface randomly throughout the city. I discovered them in quite a few unlikely places. Here are a few:

“Sao Paulo is an ashtray.”

The following fun video that Mundano shared with me showcases a social action project that he initiated in which 130 artists —  80% of whom do graffiti, streetart or pixação on the streets of  São Paulo — created original houses to raise money to provide temporary housing for the needy:  http://vimeo.com/26291598
 

A Cast of Characters from the Streets of São Paulo

Ranging from the playful to the mournful, the cast of characters gracing the walls of  São Paulo always intrigues. Here’s a sampling:

Onesto, photo by Lois Stavsky
Ricardo AKN, photo by Lois Stavsky
Ethos, photo by Sara Mozeson
Sinhá, photo by Lois Stavsky
Nove, photo by Lois Stavsky
Magrella, photo by Lois Stavsky

Vila Madalena’s Beco do Batman (Batman’s Alley): An Open-Air Gallery

Located in the Vila Madalena district of São Paulo, Beco do Batman is a narrow alleyway that’s evolved into an open-air gallery. I discovered it last summer on my first visit to Sao Paulo. When I returned earlier this month, I revisited some of my favorite pieces, but many new ones had surfaced. Here’s a sampling:

Photos by Sara Mozeson; artwork by various artists to be identified