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Aberaldo Sandes Costa Lima was born in Ilha do Ferro, in the neighbourhood of Pão de Açúcar (AL), in 1960. He still lives there and what he really likes is the countryside, the “sertão”. It’s a very special place, very dry but surrounded by a river and mountains. “In the middle of all this nature I can really find myself. I like to be outside, camping, feeling nature as it is. I’ve always lived on my father’s land where we only traveled on horseback and on foot. I think my mother has Indian blood. We would go out and if she saw someone, she would run away and hide. The oldest house here is from 1600 and one of the oldest families was called Sandes Ferro. People say these lands were visited by the Dutch, the Spanish, and people from Galicia. It’s a big mix.”
In his backyard, in the place where he works, his private universe comes to life – branches, paper, butterfly cocoons, leaves and roots. “I like making my things here. Some of the wood tells us what it wants to be. I don’t like making things that already exist, like saints. Among the things that exist, I prefer birds and animals. And using the human shape I like “ex-votos” (sculptures of head and other members of the human body used by the Catholic people to pay for a miracle cure or a miracle benefit). I’m happy, because I’ve always earned my living from art. Some people don’t believe in what they do, and that must be very sad.” |
