Paintings by Barentina artists go to the United States

“Knowing that one of my works has come this far is a great joy for the achievement and also a great pride for the path I am taking.” This is the phrase of the artist from Barrentina, Ignacio Paiva. Together with Igor Viana, he composed the paintings that Governor Wilson Lima delivered to the President of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), Ilan Goldfagen, during a visit to the works of the Social and Environmental Program in Manaus and the Interior. (Prosamin+), last week.

On this occasion, Goldfagen, the first Brazilian to head the IDB, said with great pleasure that the staff will head to his office in Washington, where the financial institution is headquartered, a partner of the Amazonas government in Prosamín+, as well as in the Integrated Sanitation Program (Prosai) that reaches Parintins. Both programs are implemented by the Amazonas government’s Special Projects Management Unit (UGPE).

The artworks depict unique aspects and characteristics of the reality of Tupinambarana Island, inspired by the Amazonian fauna and flora, in the struggles and lifestyles of the riverside inhabitants. The paintings featuring two regional boats, one blue and the other red, deliberately chosen to symbolize the bulls of the Parintins Caprichoso and Garantido, attracted Goldfajn’s special attention.

Ignacio Paiva, the author of three of the four artworks presented to the IDB president, including the blue boat with the inscription Parintins, comes from a humble family and is from the riverside community of Bom Socorro do Ze Aso, 14 kilometers from the city center and accessible only by boat. Even with the difficulty of transportation, Ignacio studied fine arts at the Liceu de Artes e Ofícios Claudio Santoro de Parintins, a space owned by the government of Amazonas and managed by the State Secretariat for Culture and Creative Economy.

“It wasn’t easy at all. I come from the countryside, from a remote community, where I didn’t have much access to art. I had to travel to Parintins headquarters to participate in the course. I feel very proud to see my art come this far,” he says.

Igor Viana, whose work has also been praised by the President of the Islamic Development Bank, tells the story behind the painting The Red Boat, which depicts an experience he had during a trip to the community of Canariño. He took a project to the community that offers drawing and painting courses and workshops, and during this trip he took a picture of the boat leaving to pick up students who live nearby for the course. The logistics involved had a profound impact on him, leading him to decide to reproduce the scene through painting.

“I am very happy to present this work, and even more so, because it will be taken to another country, something that has not happened to me yet. I have had works go to other states in Brazil, but this is the first time I have gone abroad,” he says with emotion.

UGPE Secretary Marcellus Campello underlines the Amazonas government’s commitment to valuing local artists and integrating them into state programs. In the Prosai Parintins concept, he says, artists from Parintins have also been invited to actively participate in the construction of the visual identity and graphic materials.

“Parentines is a real source of artistic talent, and we seek to involve them in our work. It is a way not only to showcase the talents of the region to the world, but also to appreciate local artists,” says Campillo.

While in Manaus to participate in the 22nd Sustainability Week, Sustainability Week (SW24), promoted by BID Invest, the private arm of the BID Group, Ilan Goldfagen visited the Jefferson Perez Park, in the center of Manaus, and the Rodrigo Otavio residential complex, both of which operate from the Prosamin+ program, a government program with funding resources from foreign institutions.