Bike Art from Brazil – Cabelo’s Illustrations

I was recently swept off my feet by the work of Brazilian artist Valdinei Calvento, who is known as “Cabelo.” His posters, illustrations, and street art convey a passion for cycling, for humanity, for nature, and for balance between the three. The work is executed in a confident line and has a light spirit while remaining uncompromising in its idealism and advocacy.

Before posting his work here, I thought I would ask him a few questions. After an exchange of emails between São Paulo and Seattle, and translations, I am very happy to present a selection of his work, and a few of his thoughts. More of his work can be found on his blog and online portfolio.

Cabelo has a lot of great work, and I want to show it all off, so I’m going to divide it into three posts over the next six days: illustrations, posters, and street art.

Illustrations:

I prefer to go by leg power.

My name is Valdinei Calvento Junior. I like all art forms, and I draw a lot, as a way to “document” the moments of my life.  I am a passionate father, and am lucky and thankful for having a wife that understands all my craziness.  I believe in contemplation and gratitude as a way to search for more knowledge about who we are.

The car is yours, the road is ours!

Bicycles have a magical effect on their riders. There are moments of reflection that only the pedals can give to us–bicycles point out a different way of looking at the world, a cheap technology, non-polluting, that humanizes and harmonizes the city and its inhabitants.

What is the noise of the cities today?  It is the noise of car engines, right?  It is not the noise of the birds nor the wind, it is the horns, the accelerations, and the brakes.  A city that validates bicycles permits the exchange of courtesies, of looks, of experiences, of contemplation, of gratitude.

“Infinity” is a special drawing for me. I made it at a moment when I was trying to thank the people that in some ways have transformed my life.  A very special group of them are the friends I made while riding my bike. In this drawing I show, in the form of a cyclist, the gratitude to nature, the respect of its cycles, and a new way of looking at our mobility, not only in the physical aspect, but also in the sphere of consciousness itself.

Thanks Cabelo!

Stay tuned for the next post, presenting Cabelo’s bicycle advocacy posters.

And many thanks to Ana Paula MacArthur for translation help! Ana is a Brazilian from São Paulo who has lived in the Seattle/Olympia area since 1997. She promotes Brazilian culture and awareness through her work as the co-founder of the nonprofit OBRAS, Oganization for Brazilian Solidarity, and the co-owner of Sol Fair Trade, Brazilian Contemporary and Traditional Handcrafts www.solfairtrade.com.

Actually, Cabelo I love all your illustrations, let’s share a few more: