10 Questions with Arão Pinto

Arão Pinto, born in Brazil in 1979, is an artist who loves the splendor of color, of course not least because of his origins, and specializes in abstract art.
In 2006, Arão emigrated to Germany and began a career as a trained hairdresser and make-up artist. But his love for art was stronger than anything else, and so since 2014, he has devoted himself exclusively to his true passion.

His works have been and can be seen in exhibitions around the world. Arão primarily uses oil and acrylic paint to breathe life into his pictures. His talent did not go unnoticed - he most recently won the DORMERO Design Award in 2019.
When you take a look at Arão's artwork, you are greeted by an explosion of colors. His works are characterized by lively colors, powerful shapes, and many emotions, which are intended to take the viewer into a world full of energy and movement and inspire them to get involved in new things.

Of course, his origins also play a role in his works. The rainforest with its abundant colors and sounds, nature in its almost lavish abundance, animals, meter-thick anacondas, giant spiders in bright colors, fish from the Amazon - all of this is reflected in the exuberant colors and dynamism of his paintings and influenced him when he left the Indian village at a young age to go his own way - internalizing the deep-rooted traditions of his origins and making them visible from the outside.

For Arão, freedom always comes first, and so it's no wonder that his maxim is: "ART IS FREEDOM AND I PUT THIS FREEDOM ON CANVAS!"

araopinto.com | @_araopinto_

ARTIST STATEMENT

“My feelings while painting in connection with the influence of my origin form my pictures, influence them again and again, and show themselves in exuberant colours, shapes, and movement. As an abstract artist, it's always my feeling that, in the end, the picture is what defines and influences. It's my inspiration.” - Arão Pinto

INTERVIEW

First of all, who is Arão Pinto, and how would you describe yourself in 3 words?

I am a native Brazilian who comes from an indigo family and grew up in the Amazon region. I have a close connection to nature, especially, of course, not least because of the lush colors and diversity of nature in my homeland. I originally trained as a dental assistant and then as a hairdresser in Brazil. I have been in Germany since 2006 and have found my new home here. I have been exclusively an artist since 2014 and am completely dedicated to my art. I live and work in my studio in Nuremberg in the Maxfeld district.

Do you remember when you first decided you wanted to be an artist? 

Actually, very good. I was a hairdresser at the time and wanted to take a language course to further improve my German. Unfortunately, there was no course available at the time that worked with my working hours, so I quickly decided to take a painting course because it took place after work. Ultimately, this course lit the fire in me. Shortly afterwards, I quit my job and turned exclusively to painting.

Let's talk about your work. What inspired you to work with painting? 

I think the impetus to dedicate myself to painting and not any other artistic activity is the painting course in question. But the fact is that during my time as a hairdresser, I also came into contact with colors and learned a lot about the different colors, etc., during training and further education. This certainly led to this to some extent and perhaps unconsciously showed at the time where my path was taking me.

You primarily work with abstract art but also sporadically incorporate figurative elements. How do you keep a coherent approach in your production?

Abstraction is a form of expression of my feelings and thoughts. I use figurative elements for my imagination, which make me feel good and are, therefore, often found as an additional element in my artwork. I also love the combination of abstract and figurative elements.

Where do you find inspiration for your work, and what is your creative process like?

My main inspiration comes from my childhood growing up in the Amazon. The bright colors and diversity of nature and animals.
There is no set process for me. Most of the time, it is spontaneous and, as I like to say, works of art speak for themselves and communicate when they are finished.

How would you define your style? And how has it evolved over the years?

My style at the beginning of my career is probably best classified as abstract realism. Today, however, I would describe my style or style as "Abstract Expressionism", even though I find it really difficult to categorize it. The style of my works of art is probably more of a stylistic break.

What do you wish to communicate to the public with your work?

Above all, I want to bring joy to people, convey emotions to them, inspire them, and, of course, beautify a room with my works of art. I don't want my art to displace other furnishings. Rather, my works of art are intended to enhance the existing interior and make a room, for example an office, appear more lively.
I want everyone who looks at my artwork to see and feel the emotions and feelings I had while painting. It's not about what someone sees or that you see something specific, but rather people should feel good in the presence of my works of art, be inspired, forget the world around them, feel the liveliness and movement in my works of art, and always something new to discover.

What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future in terms of new projects? 

Since it is my conviction that I have not yet sold prints of my works of art, and I want my works of art to please people all over the world, even if they may not be able to afford the original work of art, I am currently working on a few other products that show my works of art, For example, cell phone cases with excerpts from my most popular works of art and a small series of clothing items. The goal is to start selling these products in 2024.

Do you have any upcoming shows or collaborations you are looking forward to?

What I'm most looking forward to is my first art catalog, which will show almost all of my pictures from the beginning until today. Here, too, it is planned to go onto the market in the first half of 2024.
Otherwise, I am currently in discussions with the elementary school about whether to design a complete wall of the students' lounge there, and of course - as is basically the case all year round - various applications for art exhibitions and art prizes are currently underway.

Finally, where do you see yourself and your work five years from now?

In five years, I see myself in my dream studio, with lots of light, big windows, and even more space to create my works of art and thereby make the world a little more colorful.

Artist’s Talk

Al-Tiba9 Interviews is a promotional platform for artists to articulate their vision and engage them with our diverse readership through a published art dialogue. The artists are interviewed by Mohamed Benhadj, the founder & curator of Al-Tiba9, to highlight their artistic careers and introduce them to the international contemporary art scene across our vast network of museums, galleries, art professionals, art dealers, collectors, and art lovers across the globe.