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In the neighbourhood of Cachoeira do Brumado, in the town of Mariana (MG), soapstone is everywhere. There are hundreds of pots and dishes for sale in the markets and at craft artists’ houses. But Adão de Lourdes Cassiano chose another path. “I was born in Mariana in 1945, into a family of salesmen and bricklayers. Until I was 26 years old I worked as a bricklayer. I first saw soapstone when I was building a local school. When we were digging to lay the foundations, the soapstone appeared under the earth. We tried to work with it, but it shattered too easily. So I started to mould a few things. The first gift I ever gave to my wife – then my girlfriend – was a flower sculpted in soapstone, with an inscription for her.” Back then his pieces were small, and he is proud of showing them off. “At the time, Mr. Artur Pereira was already famous in the area. He used to sculpt in wood. And he told me I should leave stone behind and use wood instead. He encouraged me a lot, and now that he is gone things aren’t the same around here.” Adão became famous for his nativity scenes and the Chain of Slaves. “My imagination is my own, and that’s how I make things. The wood that I use I cut down myself, with the government’s authorisation. I cut down cedar trees, but plant new ones. In order to guarantee the quality of the work, we only cut the wood down in the months that don’t have an “R” (winter) and when the moon is waning. It never fails.” |
