Recently while looking at my blog stats, I noticed that my Brazil entry was getting a lot of activity. I had no idea why. I checked the search terms used that day that were bringing people to my site. The only search term for the day was Jorge Selarón. A couple days later, I heard from a friend of recent travels that he had died.
Hearing this news startled me, because it was only 8 months ago that I was sitting beside him on his rainbow of bright tiles from all over the world. He showed me his different Canada tiles that were scattered throughout the stairs.
Jorge and me sitting together on his beautiful staircase
Jorge Selarón, creator of the staircase kaleidoscope of brilliant colours, was found dead January 10th on the very steps of his masterpiece. The stairs were his life’s work and created as a tribute to the Brazilian people. The steps are a symbol of Rio de Janeiro, and always will be. It’s hard to imagine people visiting these steps with no Jorge, dressed in red wearing his signature flip flops.
“It’s like if the stairway was alive. It’s always changing and becoming more beautiful. You see and feel the difference.” – Jorge
It is certain that his steps will live on and continue being visited by thousands of people each year, perhaps soon turning into a memorial where people can bring tiles of their own from all over the world to honour his life’s work and to keep his art alive.
Obrigado, Jorge.
Picture I took of Jorge
Filed under: Brazil Tagged: Art, Brazil, Jorge Selaron, Lapa, Photography, Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Selaron's Staircase, Travel
