Henrique Oliveira has always been interested in the environment around him and the raw materials surrounding the streets. During his time at art school, he began a fascination with old walls and billboards, particularly those that used plywood. Oliveira says it is the way the material is made in different layers that appeals to him, with the grain of the wood resembling human veins.
His most recent project is a reflection of shanty towns and their place in the Sao Paulo society. An enormous in-door structure, the sculpture consists of a set of claustrophobic tunnels and passageways with shapes that resemble a tree root or a series of tumors. This is Oliveira’s nod to the way the people view this ‘darker’ side to Sao Paulo - a symbolic meaning built from his observations and upbringing in the city.