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Francinaldo Rodrigues dos Santos is better known as Discípulo (Disciple). And the first question people ask is: whose disciple? The answer is straightforward: Jesus. “I wasn’t well, taking drugs, and found God. I got rid of all evil and joined the evangelical church.” That’s how the nickname emerged, but his interest in wood started as a child and he has been working with woodcarving for a long time.
Born in Maranhão, he arrived in Boa Vista when he was 5 years old, and by the age of 9 he was already carving pieces of wood. He never had a teacher, always learned alone. He likes to carve Amazonian themes, and doesn’t hide his preference for indians. “They have different ethnicities and traditions. It’s a pleasing variety, and they are great artists. I like the Ianomami and try to portray them in my work as often as possible.” Several of his woodcarvings are large panels, made specially for decorating places such as hotels and public buildings. Discípulo works in a carpentry workshop in the city, and when not carvings on doors and panels, he sculpts the indians he likes so much. |
