Fory escultor



Fory began his artistic life at the age of 15 in Cachoeira, the city where he was born. As a child he displayed a vocation for art that manifested in the creation of small figurative works in ceramics and woodwork inspired by religious symbols. At 18, Fory was already immersed in the artistic milieu of Bahia, participating in group exhibitions in Salvador and other cities in the interior of the state. It was not long before he established contacts with renowned Bahian artists and his work gained visibility throughout Brazil and abroad.

Fory spent most of his life in Cachoeira, a historical city in the Bahian Recôncavo. This region is known for its strong African cultural influences, an inheritance of the African slaves who had worked in the sugar cane mills that propelled the economy of colonial Brazil in the 17th and 18th centuries. Growing up in close contact with these roots inspired the artist to create works in wood that highlight African cultural values. His early career was marked by references to the African continent and by the world of popular culture in Cachoeira. From these origins Fory continued and forged his own artistic path, implementing original techniques that enhanced the aesthetic value and material beauty of his sculptures.

For more than two decades the artist has been working exclusively with material salvaged from the ruins of old mansions. He recycles wood from structures that would have eventually been discarded or burned and creates works of art admired by collectors throughout the world. His style is unique, his pieces marked by a distinctive artistic identity. Art critics, photographers, and scholars have recorded his work and artistic trajectory in numerous publications.

In 1986  Fory was the special guest of an entourage of Brazilian artists participating in the international exhibition in the Aaron Davis Hall in New York as part of the program for the 3rd International Conference on Culture and Tradition of the Orixas. In 2000, he took part in another international exhibition, “Pelourinho! Popular Art from the Historic Heart of Brazil,” organized by North American scholar Marion Jackson. The exhibition was assembled at the University of Michigan and toured a number of cities in the United States. Today Fory’s artistic production continues to be intense and his work has a significant presence in cultural spaces and events in Brazil and overseas.