green my favela

While in Rio recently, I had a chance to visit my friend, Lea Rekow and her project to foster sustainable green space in the form of community gardens in one of the largest slums in the world, Rocinha.  Lea's project is called Green my Favela.  I met some of the Rocinha community members who are working with her on the project and got to install a piece on a site they are developing into a community garden.

Lea in Rocinha

Carlos, a community member + garden caretaker, standing at a garden site with Rocinha + Sao Conrado in the background

 Lea + Carlos

Carlos in one of the gardens on reclaimed land in Rocinha

kids from the community (photo by Lea Rekow)

installing on a reclaimed site (photo by Kate Mytty)

photo by Lea Rekow

brooklyn street art shout out...

getting up in rio

i got up in rio last night.  it's significant to me for a couple reasons.  i'm here visiting lea rekow and her husband, hank.  it was lea who encouraged me to go big after my return from brasil in 2009 and who gave me a show at santa fe contemporary art center shortly thereafter.  it was in brasil in 2009 that i was inspired to do street art.  

meanwhile, the hand gesture is interesting.  i shot this on the reservation where many people use hitch hiking as a means of transportation.  in brasil, thumbs up is a universal sign for things being copacetic. 

so to lea + brasil this piece, the copacetic hitch hiker, is dedicated to you.  thanks for the inspiration and have a great 2013!