Raimundo da Costa
a riverside shanty in Manaus, Brazil
Raimundo da Costa, 78, lives in a riverside shanty in Manaus and has spent decades meticulously repairing the shoes of local boatmen and market vendors. Practical to his core, he built his own coffin and stores it in his garage, a constant reminder of life's impermanence. His art emerges from a deep-seated obsession with the temperature of colors—an odd sensitivity he tests by dabbing paint on his forearm to gauge their feel.
About
Obsession
Temperature sensation of color on skin
Voice
Colors as temperature, river's edge promise
Artistic Medium
Paintings on salvaged rubber
Technique
Dabbing paint, layering colors with rivets
Influences
Riverside shanty, Amazonian rainy seasons, boatmen's boots
Materials
Old rubber boots, market vendor sandals, oil paint
Scale
Small, like a working shoe sole
Selected 1 time · Last: May 08, 2026
