Marcelo Halmenschlager

Brazilian-American Artist Marcelo Halmenschlager (b.1978-) began life as a blank canvas. Originating from the Southern Brazil State of Rio Grande do Sul, Marcelo was far from a typical child. A keen observer and possessing an inquisitive mind, the young man often questioned what was considered the norm around him. His first art studio was the roof of his house, where he'd spend hours stargazing, daydreaming and developing his imagination. Marcelo enrolled at the University of Unisinos, in Porto Alegre, Brazil where his curious nature and his desire to understand others led him to study Psychology. It was when he grew interested in not only studying other people, but studying his own feelings, thoughts and ideas. Drawing from his academic studies and from his experiences growing up in a rapidly changing metropolis, he gained a rather dualistic perspective in life; and this is where his artistry blossomed. It was when he decided to move to the United States where he developed technical skills by years of study, examining the techniques of the old masters and incorporating them into his modern take on realism, surrealism and symbolism. Most notably, his dreamscapes, double images, puzzles and illusions that capture moments of humanness–either real, imagined, or both. Marcelo then realized his search for answers was over; there were no answers. Only observations, interpretation, and expression.