BRAZILIAN STREET ARTIST INCORPORATES NATURE AS 'NATURAL HAIR' IN PORTRAITS OF BLACK WOMEN AND GIRLS

STREET ARTIST COMBINES LIVING FLOWERS WITH MURALS TO HONOUR BLACK WOMEN'S HAIR

Fabio Gomes is an Afro-Brazilian artist who is drawing worldwide attention for his street art, specifically, for the painting he has made of a black woman with afro and pink hair. The image, which uses real trees and roses, circulated from a wall in Brazil to all social networks.

"I am very happy and surprised by the positive reactions to my work of art. This inspires me to continue doing what I like and to earn a living from it," Gomes told Travel Noire.

Before working on a new project, the 30-year-old artist first selects the right location. The presence of flowering trees or shrubs is essential, since they basically constitute half of the work, and he uses graffiti to represent the faces and part of the hair in the portraits, leaving nature to take care of the rest.

Gomes’ work has caught the attention of many all over the world, including Hollywood star Viola Davis and Beyoncé's mother Tina Knowles.

"Being an artist in Brazil is not easy, and it is even more difficult for street artists,” says Gomes. “We do not have the support of investors, and it is not cheap to buy materials to make these works. But I am sure that my art will be liked by many people,"

"Although I do not consider myself a black activist, I have always wanted to portray black women with their natural beauty in a majestic way.”

Currently Gomes has 95,000 followers on Instagram. The artist has given interviews to the main Brazilian television networks and his art is being published even by celebrities such as Viola Davis, an actress who shared it on her social network, or Cardi B.

Original article from BrightVibes.