"I was born drawing."
With a simplicity that
feels almost elemental,
Mario Schuster defines
himself,
tying his existence to art from the very beginning, in Pelotas, deep in southern
Brazil. His journey stands as a testament to this visceral bond: a self-taught
prodigy, by the age of twelve he was already honing his skills in the studio of
Uruguayan artist Nestor Rodrigues—long before his path would lead him to
university—first, somewhat unexpectedly, to Veterinary Medicine, and later, in
a return to his true calling, to Fine Arts, where he earned a degree in Painting.
This dual background perhaps explains the depth of his gaze, capable of
combining meticulous observation with a profound empathy for the natural
world. In his paintings, nature isn't simply a landscape; it’s an intimate
presence, fragmented and alive: tree trunks revealing hidden microcosms,
the unlikely delicacy of a feather found by chance, nests undone by the wind,
the translucent fragility of butterfly wings, branches dancing in an aerial
choreography.
Mario rescues these "everyday banalities" from the hurried gaze of
contemporary life, offering them as pauses—portals to contemplation and to
rediscovering the beauty hidden in the details.