In the Historic Center of Olinda, a Brazilian municipality in the state of Pernambuco, architecture borrows shapes and colors from nature; cobogós perforations on the balconies look like round leaves and fruits, while the railings spiral with a hint of twisted flowers. The colors of the earth and sky also reappear in the floors, backyards, kitchens, and rooms of colonial houses, coating them in shades of brown and blue.
This architecture runs through the veins of graphic designer Renata Paes. Born on the outskirts of Olinda, Renata grew up with attentive eyes amidst the natural designs that adorned the houses and streets of her childhood. Her father, Antenor, a conservation architect, used to lead her by the hand on long walks, pointing out the moving architectural details of the upper town of Olindean, whose historic center was recognized by the Iphan (Institute of National Historic and Artistic Heritage) in 1968 and declared a Cultural Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO in 1982.
"I grew up hearing my father's stories about tiles and railings, and the importance of preserving local architecture. When I had to choose my graduation work, I realized how much this graphic memory permeated my childhood, so I decided to dedicate myself to these deteriorated elements," she says.
