Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Alexandre Assuncao. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Alexandre thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?
Wow, that’s a really good question, I’m not sure if I can give just one answer because when we talk about art people often say “Okay, you are an artist, that is amazing!! But what else do you do for work?! “
Rarely we make the same question for other professionals.
Of course this is different if you are a very famous and rich artist, no one asks a big star “what else?! “.
At the end of the day, we are talking about money and success, success is measured by how much money you can make.
Speaking of ourselves and many other artists, we are constantly in the center of a loop trying to prove our importance to society and get paid for what we do like any other professional.
I would say that the first time I knew that I will follow a creative path, even without knowing, I was just a little boy in elementary school in my hometown, Sao Paulo in Brazil, way back when I started make drawings to sell to my friends at school.
I did draw a helicopter above a burning jungle, in the center of the jungle there was an arm raised like asking for help, my first art project !
I sold many of those and it made me feel so special with purpose and kind of superpowers!!
It was not about money, no way, I was just a kid, it was about make something new, funny, something that came from nothing, just a piece of paper, some crayons, markers and creativity, of course I did not know about all the complexities, I was just a kid having fun like any other.
This may not be the correct answer but it is certainly sincere, being an artist is keep that kid alive for how long as we can!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Alexandre Assuncao 49 years old, I am married with Ana and we have two daughters Manuela 15 and Lara 8, we are from Sao Paulo – Brasil and moved here on 2018.
I had my first real connection with art when I was just a teenager, I used to be an assistant in a hand made signs studio, basically working with letters and silk screen, it was when the passion for letters began, I am still loving and using them a lot on my projects.
After graduated on Pan American School of Art in design and visual communication I started to do my paintings, small murals, wooden crafts, collages, furniture design/restoration and trying put all skills together,
Since then, I have continued with my artistic work, participating in art fairs, exhibitions and commission pieces, but I had to reconcile this with other “regular” jobs.
In 2018 my family and I moved to Malvern in Pensilvania, we had to adapt and restart, in my case I knew I would have to fit my work into a different market, for different people and rediscovering where I was.
Then another passion came to my life, Mid Century Furniture.
Beautiful and solid pieces, designs at same time clean and so complex, curves and sharp lines, the perfect combination between functionality and elegance, yeah, I love these pieces.
At the beginning I bought some second hand MCM pieces to decorate our house, I renovated and use them, after a year living here I learned more about manufactures and good brands and started to buying my first pieces to restore and resell, it was simple but I knew there was something more to do.
Now, on my studio I have finally put all the ideas and skills together, paintings, wood art installations, Mid Century furniture restorations/transformations and more, it is like a continuous movement between materials that can be used in different projects with the same pattern and aesthetic.
Speaking of furniture, I do some restorations as originals depending on the brand, value and condition of the piece, but what is really magical here is the possibility of transforming furniture into art, I do different paintings, drawings, colors and shapes, there are no limits or pre-determined rules to follow, the only thing that has to be functional for the client.
Another very special thing working on restorations/renovations is the possibility to meet new people and learn about precious stories behind the furniture, some of those kept for years in the same house by the same family, this is a huge responsibility and privilege for me.
I do my own projects buying, transforming and selling, also for art shows and exhibitions, but I do commissions as well, people bring pieces to me and we can work together, they tell me what is important to keep or take off from the piece, I can help with colors, patterns, design etc, I am always open for good ideas and different points of view.
To finish I would like to emphasize the importance of the reuse on my process, I always try to incorporate scraps of wood, metal, plastic into my artistic projects, everything here is useful and can be incorporated into furniture, installations even on canvas.
I think this is my contribution for
the planet.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
I choose this topic because this is ambiguous to me, I have had to face with big changes, big challenges and big opportunities at the same time since I moved here.
Everything was new, people, culture, language, community, work,
you have to be very persistent and creative to fit into a different group and show what you are capable to do.
On the other hand you have new opportunities, materials, ideas and a fresh air to explore.
Many artists tend to be very sensitive and wonder if they are really good and necessary at what they do, I include myself in this and resilience is a good word to define an important chapter of my journey.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
For me it is an invisible and immaterial connection between us, what we do and the audience, when you see the truth in their eyes interacting and enjoying something you made, this is an amazing sensation.
I recently restored a piece of furniture for a client, it was actually a big transformation, when she came on the day of collection she was very happy with the result, this piece has belonged to her family for many years and I knew how important it was to her and her family.
After explaining all the details of the project and taking some photos, we had a long conversation and she asked me for a hug to say thank you.
This is my reward an a priceless attitude.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: alex_special_furniture
- Facebook: Cabelo Alexandre Assunção
Image Credits
Tina Crespo