By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – For his first solo exhibit in Rio’s Galeria Homegrown (Homegrown Gallery), Brazilian graffiti artist Marcio SWK will present a collection of his paintings entitled, ‘Eu Vejo Letras’ (‘I See Letters’). Opening on Thursday, March 20th in the gallery space located in Ipanema, the exhibited works explore Marcio SWK’s abstract use of letters in urban street art.
Marcio SWK has exhibited in Amsterdam, Beirut, Paris, Berlin and São Paulo, also making history as one of the first Brazilians to create works in a venue in Abu Dhabi. Additionally, his works have been used by and made into prints for large companies including Samsung, Nike, Nestle and Ray Ban.
“I started to see letters within letters,” Marcio SWK told The Rio Times when explaining how the works in the Eu Vejo Letras exhibit originated. A graffiti artist since 2000, Marcio was born and raised in the Rio neighborhood of Santa Teresa, and his entry into the urban art world was through a workshop held by graffiti artist Fabio Ema.
“The graffiti was certainly what motivated me,” Marcio said, “because being with a spray can and making my name in different ways without worrying about the police was so perfect for me. I was hooked.” With time, shapes, designs and vibrant colors were added to his letters, turning them into street art.
In 2010 he participated in group exhibitions and began to develop the works of Eu Vejo Letras. “I started experimenting and ended up liking these paintings,” said Marcio. “It was a way of zooming into the wild style letters that I had started with in 2000.”
A contemporary art space located in Ipanema, the Homegrown Gallery is known for presenting the works of Rio’s finest up and coming urban artists as well as the works of international artists. “Last year I received an invitation from the guys from Homegrown to exhibit,” Marcio explained, “So I thought, now I can show some of what I see.”
Opened in 2006, the space has, to date, hosted more than one hundred exhibitions by graffiti artists, visual artists, illustrators, photographers, designers as well as body/tattoo artists.
“Homegrown has been supporting street art and artists for a long time,” Marcio said. “For sure here in Rio they have increased support for the art. They’ve been growing every day along with the artists and it’s nice to have it all together so everyone can reap the rewards. I’m already very grateful for them believing in me. Long live Homegrown.”
The open visitation on Thursday, March 20th gives the public the first opportunity to see the Eu Vejo Letras exhibition and its fourteen paintings and prints with prices ranging from R$250 to R$8,000. The exhibit will then continue to run through Saturday, April 19th.
What: Exhibition- Marcio SWK ‘Eu Vejo Letras’ (‘I See Letters’)
When: Opening visitation at 6PM on March 20th. Exhibition runs Thursday, March 20th through Saturday, April 19th and is open 10AM to 8PM, Mondays through Fridays; 12PM to 6PM on Saturdays.
Where: Galeria Homegrown (above the Homegrown store), Rua Maria Quitéria 68, Ipanema.
Entrance: Free