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For someone born in the village of Claudio Manoel, in Mariana (MG), in 1955, the most obvious job would always be making pots out of soapstone. “I enjoyed working with wood, but ended up working with stone out of need”, says Vicente de Paula Castro, known as Bié (and Veveu’s brother). “As a teenager I came to Ouro Preto with my mother and carried on working with stone. My mother was very wise. I used to say I wanted to go to a big city, and she would tell me to be patient, that everything happens in its own time. I stayed and my work improved. I learned that when you work with stone you must do everything with love, to the limit. Only then will the stone become free to speak to us.” Very popular with collectors in Brazil and abroad, Bié is simple in a grand way. “Being well known is helpful, but it’s no use unless you work with love, understanding that stone is a living thing. Signing your name on a block of stone doesn’t mean anything if you haven’t got anything to offer.” |
