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Jorge Alves Siqueira was born in the countryside near Ribeira, in the municipality of Itabaiana. He left at 15 and says that he can’t forget the idyllic images although they often remind him of the hard life he had. “There was a clear stream, a building for making manioc flour, birds and freedom.” When he started sculpting and became an artist, Jorge took on the name Zeus. “It all started with my brother, who had an accident and while recovering learned how to make woodcarvings. I used to help him, sanding the pieces. But one day he gave me a small knife and told me to cut a ball with a pedestal, which should be very easy. Then he made some marks on the ball and asked me to carve the sides, so they looked like cheeks on a face. Then I made an eye, and it seemed like it was staring at me. And art penetrated me like that, through an eye staring at me. I finished the head, which became an ex-voto.” The brother left but Zeus remained in Aracaju (SE), moved to other cities and then settled in Areia Branca, where he now lives. He works with wood, stone and concrete, and makes a living from his art. “It was fate. 20 years ago I tried doing something else, but it didn’t work. We don’t look for art, art looks for us. I’ve always been honest with art, never tried to run away from my style and I have my own characteristics.” When the eco-brigade questions his work with wood, he doesn’t hesitate: “With 10 pieces of imburana wood, which I normally get from people preparing soil for crops, I have enough work for 10 months. Now think of what a sawmill does in 10 months, the amount of wood they go through.” Finally, he says “artists don’t get rich, they get happy, but sometimes it’s hard to get enough money to buy food”. Today he is aware of his maturity as a sculptor. “If you look at my pieces well, you’ll see they are intricate, full of detail. They are hard work to make. If someone tries to copy them, they’ll soon realise each piece requires a lot of dedication.” |
