Valter Hugo Mãe Honored at Fliaraxá Festival, Discusses Visual Art Practice and Brazilian Politics

Writer Valter Hugo Mãe, born in Angola and raised in Paços Ferreira, Portugal, is the honoree of the Araxá Literary Festival (Fliaraxá) in Minas Gerais, Brazil, from June 19 to 23. At the invitation of festival creator and curator Afonso Borges, Mãe created a series of illustrations for the festival's visual identity. The author, whose work has reached countries like Croatia, Colombia, Israel, Serbia, and Ireland, discussed his lifelong connection to visual arts, which began in childhood with drawing. He describes himself as an amateur who loves visual arts, having held one exhibition twelve years ago and planning another this year. Mãe also commented on education and culture in Brazil's current political situation, lamenting the country's succumbing to corruption and attacks on education and culture. He emphasized that democracy is education and that teachers are the brave soldiers of all nations. The article also lists numerous Brazilian and international artists he admires, including Nino Cais, Eduardo Berliner, Alex Cerveny, Vik Muniz, Adriana Varejão, Ernesto Neto, Cildo Meireles, Regina Silveira, Tunga, and Artur Bispo do Rosário.