Véio (Cícero Alves dos Santos) Brazilian, b. 05/1947

Cícero Alves dos Santos, known as Véio, is an iconic figure in Brazilian folk art and a significant contemporary artist. 

A self-taught master of wood sculpture, his work transcends the boundaries between folk and contemporary art, merging the memory of traditions with vibrant and modern expressiveness.

His creative process is visceral and intuitive, marked by a sensitive dialogue with his materials. Véio uses logs, roots, and pieces of wood found in nature, respecting their natural forms and textures.

He believes that the wood already holds the figures he seeks to reveal, and with simple tools like a pocketknife, he transforms these materials into enigmatic sculptures. 

His works navigate between the figurative and the abstract, creating fantastic, anthropomorphic, and hybrid beings that evoke both collective memories and contemporary narratives.

Véio’s artistic research connects oral histories, traditions, and the imagination of Brazil’s Northeast with universal themes. His sculptures, often painted in vibrant, intense colors, preserve the cultural memory of the sertão while exploring symbolism and layers of interpretation.

These pieces are imbued with poetry and critique, questioning the relationships between humanity and the natural world, between past and present. 

Recognized nationally and internationally, Véio occupies a unique position in the art world.

His works are part of major public collections in Brazil and abroad, establishing him as an essential voice in understanding the richness of folk culture and its profound connection to contemporary art.