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Livia Manchon

"My work is the synthesis of my life. I can be passing through the worst moments with grave problems, but none of this matters - I have painting.

"I began to develop this work in a very free manner outside of the universities, frequenting studio courses in various Brazilian cities. As my husband needed to move constantly because of his job I learned with artists in Florianopolis, Brasilia and Buenos Aires.

"I managed to escape the typical error of he or she who is just starting: copying established works. In '79 when I began to take courses in Florianopolis, my professor Jairo Smith encouraged me to develop my own style. This was when I learned to deconstruct a scene from a cubist viewpoint. During the years I lived in Buenos Aires I worked extensively with live models and greatly improved my designs. Today I define my style as expressionist with cubist tendencies.

"My paintings always suggest a climate, I usually represent the human figure, that which much of the time generates identification with a painting. As I am a very spiritual person, the questions of mankind flourish on the canvas. During the time I spend thinking about painting, as much as when I go to meet some friends, the images form themselves in my head. I paint every day and I give classes in my studio. I teach painting and sculpture to adults and children, but without a shadow of a doubt the children are the most open learners and contact with them is very satisfying. I believe in life and enjoy it; this is the synthesis of my work. I could never give up painting."