In addition to the memories and photographs, presenter Eliana – who arrived in Foz do Iguaçu last Friday (2) to produce a program about the destination – will take some local art with her. She was given a painting of a blue-and-yellow macaw, made by Iguaçu artist Vanessa Oliveira.
When she saw her art in the hands of the presenter, Vanessa, an expert in quilling, a craft technique that uses strips of paper to create detailed 3D images, traveled back in time. “Eliana was part of my childhood and adolescence. The idea that she now has a painting made by me makes me extremely happy,” she says.
And Eliana was not the first person to receive a painting by the artist. In January of this year, the couple Taís Araújo and Lázaro Ramos were also given a similar piece of art when they were in Foz do Iguaçu. More recently, the Embratur brand was given a quilling version and was given to the current president of the entity, Marcelo Freixo.
The list also includes other celebrities, such as actor and comedian Tiago Barnabé, journalist Ana Paula Padrão, actor and presenter Bruno De Luca, singer Ana Castela, presenter Cátia Fonseca and the Princess of Denmark Benedikte Astrid Ingeborg Ingrid.
Vanessa emphasizes that being an entrepreneur in the arts is not easy, but it is very rewarding. “As a native of Iguaçu, I feel honored to be able to take the name of our city further and further. Not only for myself, but for the many artisans and artists we have in the city. I have incredible partners and people who support me a lot. Without them, my journey would certainly have been much more difficult and lonely.”
Some of his works reached the hands of celebrities with the help of Visit Iguassu, which seeks to present its guests and authorities with symbols of local culture. “We always choose to deliver pieces by local artisans, who represent the culture and history of our trinational region, who are able to express and promote our riches through their art. Vanessa’s pieces are very successful, and we are very pleased to promote and publicize them”, highlights Elaine Tenerello, executive director of Visit Iguassu, the city’s tourism promotion institute.
Ppassion for art since childhood
Vanessa Oliveira is from Foz do Iguaçu and holds a degree in Tourism. She worked in this field for 14 years, combining her studio activities only at night and on weekends. Since the beginning of the pandemic, she has dedicated herself exclusively to her artistic work.
Her interest in crafts began in childhood, encouraged by her mother and grandmother. “Between one game and another, I always set aside time to do cross-stitch or personalize the covers of school notebooks,” she recalls.
In 2005, after some research on the internet, she discovered quilling and fell in love with the technique, buying some materials to start practicing. “It was love from the first coil rolled!” At first, she created birthday cards and photo frames until she started to try her hand at creating paintings. “More than just rolling paper, this technique requires dexterity, precision and sensitivity. The combination of these factors allows for total freedom of creation and expression,” she explains.
Vanessa's first steps in crafts were taken under the guidance of award-winning artist Maria Cheung, when she was part of the former Ñandeva, a local crafts development program led by Itaipu Binacional, Parque Tecnológico Itaipu and Sebrae.
In December of last year, she was selected to represent Paraná, through Sebrae, at the National Crafts Fair, held in Belo Horizonte (MG).
In addition to your personal profile (https://www.instagram.com/atelierfarfallapiccola), Vanessa Oliveira sells her art in some spaces in the city, such as Empório com Arte, Loja Vivaz For Dress (in Vivaz Cataratas), stores in the Hotels Viale Cataratas, DoubleTree by Hilton Foz do Iguaçu and Dreams Eco Park.
