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Airton F (Airton Roberto Martins Figueiredo) was born in Cachoeira do Brumado in 1964. When he was 9 years old, his family moved to Ouro Preto (MG). It was a big town, he saw new things, had many jobs, and at 17 years old returned to his homeland. “I think I came and went many times. Adão helped me a lot. I spent time with him, watching the way he used his tools, but it’s always been very hard to make a living from art. I’ve always looked at Aleijadinho’s work, observing the details, but my first pieces were in the same style as Adão. People used to think they were his pieces so I decided to seek my own style. It was hard. I don’t think you can learn art, it’s a gift. You can learn how to hold a tool, but the things that come from inside, you can’t learn.” Airton has been living in Cachoeira do Brumado for 23 years now, living off his art. His style leans towards the baroque, and it couldn’t be any other way. He started by using soapstone, sculpting animals. One piece stands out. It’s called “Cycle of Life”, and earned him second place in the 2º Salon of Soapstone Sculpture in Ouro Preto. “I applied without even knowing there was an association of sculptors. They didn’t like it, because they didn’t know who I was. But I enjoyed it. After that I started using wood.” |
