Escadaria Selarón, Public art stairs in Lapa, Brazil
The Escadaria Selarón is a public art staircase linking the Lapa and Santa Teresa neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It stretches for 125 meters and is covered with more than two thousand colorful ceramic tiles.
Chilean artist Jorge Selarón began decorating the staircase in 1994 and worked on it until 2013. After his death that same year, the staircase became his memorial and now attracts visitors from around the world.
The staircase displays tiles from over sixty countries, brought here by travelers from around the world. In many places you can also spot Brazilian motifs in the national colors of blue, green and yellow.
The staircase is freely accessible all day, with morning hours bringing fewer visitors and better light for photos. You can reach it easily on foot from central Lapa, and the surrounding streets have a few cafes and shops.
Among the thousands of tiles, the image of a pregnant African woman appears again and again, a personal symbol the artist developed during his years of work. In some sections, Jorge Selarón also embedded ceramic shards and mirrors that reflect sunlight in unusual ways.
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