Jorge Selarón
Jorge Selarón (1947 – January 10, 2013) was a Chilean-born Brazilian painter and ceramist. He is perhaps best known for his work on the Escadaria Selarón, a world famous set of ceramic tile cover stairs located in the Lapa and Santa Teresa neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[1][2][3] Selaron called the Escadaria Selarón a "tribute to the Brazilian people."[3]
Selarón moved to the Lapa neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro in the 1980s, settling in a house next to the stairs.[1] In 1990, he began decorating the 215 stairs leading up to the Convent of Santa Teresa with ceramic tiles.[1] His artistic transformation of the stairs, using tiles and porcelain donated by friends and supporters, took twenty years to complete.[1][3] His stairs, which were declared a city landmark in 2005, were featured in Rio de Janeiro's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics.[1][3]
Jorge Selarón was found dead on the Escadaria Selarón near his home on January 10, 2013, at the age of 65.[1][3] Police did not rule out homicide, saying he had received death threats.[3]
References
- ^ a b c d e f "Rio de Janeiro landmark artist Jorge Selaron dies". BBC News. 2013-01-10. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
- ^ "Polícia não descarta hipótese de homicídio no caso do artista plástico Selarón". O Globo. 2013-01-13. Retrieved 2013-01-21.
- ^ a b c d e f "Chilean artist found dead on famous Brazilian steps he spent his life decorating". The Daily Mail. 2013-01-11. Retrieved 2013-01-21.