One of your works is called garbage. Tell me what you intended and why you did it?
IR: It was the final course project. It was intended that the containers themselves become more "palatable" to the eyes of the people, because they are not beautiful and smell bad. I was inspired by the ones of my city, which is Vila do Conde and went to get a bit of local history. I chose six very influential personalities in local terms and did the illustrations. I gave them my touch.
Can you give me an example?
IR: The Mumadona Day which is a symbol of Guimarães and named the village. I found very interesting her route.
This project was implemented in the rubbish bins or not?
IR: I introduced it in the exhibition of the final year, but I did not yet sent it to the city hall, because I am involved in other projects. But, I want to show them and see what they think.
You also belong to the collective Visio; tell me about their goals and how you entered in the group?
IR: They are Brazilians from Salvador de Bahia. I was contacted by them to be part of the group, through my illustrations. They are a collective that promotes artistic exhibitions, online participation and interventions in urban areas. I thought they developed interesting work and immediately began to collaborate with them.
You send your artistic works to Brazil and then?
IR: They expose the works in different galleries in consonance with the new projects they develop. I also believe that they intervened in the streets. They seek above all to show what art is, what we do to people.
This partnership has already crossed the Atlantic? There has been some exposure in Portugal?
IR: No, they invite artists from all over the world, but for now only happens in Brazil.
How does a person from an area as artistic as yours sees its future in Portugal?
IR: The future here is complicated. We live in this time of crisis, we must believe in us, our artists, because we have a lot of success out there. We have the same great quality and instead of going to look for designers and illustrators out there to do projects here, they had to rely more on us so we can all grow.
