The concept of this series arises from the previous research about Roberto Burle Marx and the Tropicalia art movement. I have created my work with these two references in mind while living the intensity and beauty of Rio de Janeiro.

Taking as a reference a key concept of the Tropicalia movement which is the hybridization of culture, I seek to unite the Brazilian culture and the admirable work of Roberto with my current style based on my European influence, that is why I have called these pieces Tormicália, it is my personal way of uniting both worlds.

How I saw Ipanema. We were told that Diablo Beach was more of a local spot, and one hell of a surf location. I was so enthralled by how the waves crashed in every direction. It was one aquatic tempest.

Do not look for a king or queen at the circus

Surface Memory was created with a handheld scanner carried through Rio, collecting fragments of the city’s textures such as graffiti on walls, tiled interiors, and vintage Brazilian postcards. Layered together, these pieces form a record of the impressions and surfaces that resonated with me while moving through an unfamiliar place.

Inspired by the Brazilian film Black God, White Devil, this painting reflects on the paradox of duality—the coexistence of good and evil, light and shadow. The film’s figures, the “evil saint” and the “good bandit,” embody the yin and yang in all things, reminding us that each contains its opposite.

Here, the subject moves through mundane acts—coffee, phone, daily routine—while simultaneously navigating the layered tension of duality. A quiet “observer” shines at the center, witnessing without judgment.

Gradient squares in complementary colors recall elemental forces—fire and water, heat and cooling—as well as the sunsets and oceans of Brazil. Architectural borders reference colonial pillars, symbols of history’s lasting imprint, while abstract forms breaking beyond them suggest liberation. 

Created largely in Brazil and completed in New York, the piece draws on reference images captured by photographer Dave Krugman, who helped bring the vision to life. The bold color palette and general composition pays homage to the film’s iconic poster

“The Great Paradox” is a meditation on duality: the balance in all things, where good resides in the bad and the bad resides in the good.

The six postcards, capturing stories I gathered through spontaneous encounters and conversations with Brazilian people during an art residency, were written and sent to a gallery on August 4th, 2025, by regular mail from Rio de Janeiro. Purchased in Belgrade, drawn in Brazil, and mailed to “Offline”, Super Rare’s gallery in New York, the journey of the work becomes physically inscribed into the piece itself. It functions as an analog blockchain: a record of traces, time, and movement. By sending them through the postal service, I released the work entirely out of my control. Since it is out of my control if they will fully arrive at the gallery, I made replicas using prints of the scanned version created before they were shipped. If and when the originals reach their destination, the works will automatically be gifted to the collector of the NFT. However, this raises a question about the value of a replica: if the postcard were to be lost forever due to a failure of the mailing system, would the replica become worth more than the original itself?

Five boys sit on concrete steps in the heart of the favela, their faces unseen, their bleached blonde hair speaking for them. Between peroxide and sun, the image captures how style becomes identity, and how global beauty codes are reimagined within local culture.

Cities // Brazil Token #1

The city blooms when people spill into the grid. 

Plants overtake mountains. Colors flow in harmonic carnival energy. We move, scatter, and find our rhythm again.

Born from a hand painted mural in Botafogo, Rio de Janeiro at a local music venue. The palette of this work ties back to the Rio-inspired “Carioca” Cities palette.

From the roots winding through the earthen hillsides, to the clouds hanging low over the peaks that encircle Rio- there is an all-encompasing feeling here that every bit of this city is interconnected. Under the watchful eye and outspread arms of Christ the Redeemer, this city of gods and men that swirls in the valleys below connects the heavens to the earth.

The motion of a samba dancer, captured and spray-painted frame by frame. Created at the Rio Art Residency 2025.

Uma volta pelas ondas do Rio. Created and developed by the brazilian artist Pedro Ribeiro (BEISSÚ)

Art is freedom — a force governments fear but can never destroy. Inspired by the censorship of Brazil’s military regime and my family’s experience as Cambodian refugees under the Khmer Rouge, this work shows how art, even when silenced, endures as resistance, memory, and one of the most powerful weapons of truth.

 This unique piece transforms vintage jeans into a living canvas, bringing forth iconic symbols of Rio de Janeiro’s culture. On the legs, the Arcos da Lapa rise — gateway to the city’s bohemian spirit. Above, the colorful favela vibrates with stacked houses, embodying both resilience and everyday life. The sun and the moon share the same sky, representing the unstoppable rhythm of the Cidade Maravilhosa.

To the right, the mythical figure of Zé Pilintra appears — the elegant trickster, guardian of malandragem and samba nights — surrounded by dice and playing card symbols: luck, chance, and destiny.

This work merges street art, fashion, and popular spirituality, becoming a celebration of Carioca identity, a manifesto that bridges tradition and contemporaneity.