Signed Painting of a Girl on a Bike from Brazil, "Bike in Rio"

"I was born in Petrópolis. Although I majored in chemistry, I eventually gave in to a greater passion — my love for art. I studied visual arts and art history in the Parque Lage where I was able to perfect my knowledge and painting techniques, and continued at the Casa de Arte do Recreio. Today I participate in Novica-featured artist Luiz Badia's studio.

"At the age of six, I began drawing with the help of my older sister, who has since passed away. She drew very well, and she was the one who discovered my talent and believed in my potential."

Sensitive and romantic by nature, Claudia is inspired by the beauty of the city and in the arts — such as classic dance — to create magnificent ballerina compositions set in Rio de Janeiro. Her works reveal the love, passion and poetry in her soul.

"There was a time in my life when I felt as though I had no foundation, immersed in the subjective pain and anguish that leads us to reflect on life and its inherent questions. After some four years, I emerged from that period to embrace my larger passion — painting.

"I'm happy imagining my paintings in people's homes, where they are viewed and appreciated." Claudia Thomaz has exhibited her work throughout Brazil and has received a number of awards, including a bronze medal in the first Salão Íbero-Americano de Artes Plásticas Salon in 2006, and an honorable mention in the Divine Académie Française des Arts Lettres e Culture in Paris in 2014.