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Tonia Parreira

"I was born in São Paulo in 1940 and spent a part of my life in Araraquara and another part in the interior of the state. My father was bank manager, my mother a primary school teacher. My education was inclined toward the manual arts and teaching, as was common for girls of my time who learned the art of embroidering from the time we were quite young.

"In 1960, I interrupted my study of law at the PUC to get married. In 1965, my husband, two small children and I moved to Rio de Janeiro to begin a new life. Once my children had grown up and my family life was organized, I decided to go back to school there in 1972. I enrolled in the Hélio Alonso University of Communication where I was part of the first class to study public relations.

"Although I had a flair for communication, my creative curiosity led me down a different path. With my daughter, who was studying visual communication at the School of Fine Arts, I began to frequent a decorative arts studio. This was my first contact with paints, wood objects and ceramics. These materials were quite different from the cloth, thread and wool that I used to express my creativity.

"During that time, I told a friend of my desire to try other materials and techniques, such as oil on canvas. My friend, Ruth Corrêa, is an artist. She invited me to spend time in her studio. Those were my first steps as I began to discover a talent I didn't realize I had.

"From that moment, my relationship with other artists intensified. In 1995, I had the opportunity of spending time with a group of students taught by the artist Bernardii, who is greatly respected for his abstract paintings.

"A new vista opened before me as I realized the infinite possibilities of materials and techniques presented by the master. It was the camaraderie with artists of varied plastic languages that led me to express my own artistic sensitivity through organizing forms and colors with harmony and beauty."