Back in 2006/2007, a close friend and I were accused of painting the walls of a school in Mangualde. We were immediately summoned to the school’s board of directors, which we attended, and from there, we were directed to the principal of the school where we had painted. After some insistence, we eventually confessed to the act. I recall one thing that everyone emphasized at the time – “DO NOT DO THIS AGAIN!”
And of course, we did it again, many times over! That’s interesting. After about 13 years, they called me back to that same school. This time, however, they insisted that I paint an exterior wall of the building and were willing to pay for the work right away
I am very proud of what I do today, and I feel lucky to be doing what I love. It’s great to see that other people recognize my art, but knowing that I never gave up on my dreams is even better!
This year, I went back there, this time to paint an interior wall and to tell all the students that they too can fly.
Jaf, 2020