About the piece: Rua do Carnaval gives me the sense of standing in the middle of Rio de Janeiro carnival streets, completely swept up in rhythm, heat, and joy. As I painted, I imagined the swirl of dancers, feathers in motion, music vibrating through the streets. With vibrant oranges, magentas, yellow — bold and unstoppable — then the textured areas could be representing cobbled streets in Rio. The addition of lime green, purples and deep violet follow like streamers flying through the air.

The metallic accents were my way of capturing light — the glint of sequins, the shimmer of sweat, the sun bouncing off every surface. For me, this piece is movement and celebration captured in stillness. It’s messy, layered, alive — like carnival itself. Every time I look at it, I can sense that.