Selaron found dead in Rio

Artist Found Dead on Beloved Public Artwork He Created in Rio de Janeiro

Jorge Selarón, a Chilean artist who had been living and work in the Lapa neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro for 20 years — and working continuously on his tile masterpiece, a public artwork adorning the 215 steps that lead the Convent of Santa Teresa — was found dead Thursday on the steps he had spent years transforming into a vibrant symbol of the city’s culture, the Guardian reports.

Selarón, who lived alongside the steps that are colloquially known as the “Selarón staircase,” had become severely depressed, was suicidal over an apparent betrayal by a former studio worker with apparent drug world ties, and plagued by fear and anxiety due to his success, according to friends and acquaintances who spoke to the Globo newspaper.

The artist, who never left the favela-adjacent neighborhood even after his paintings became more valuable and his career took off, was eventually made an honorary citizen of Rio. The cause of his death has yet to be determined.

Source: Benjamin Sutton.

http://blogs.artinfo.com/artintheair/2013/01/10/artist-found-dead-on-beloved-public-artwork-he-created-in-rio-de-janeiro