Bruno Petri - Visual Artist
Bruno Araujo Petri Henrique was born in Niterói-RJ on January 9, 1966.
I am the grandson of an acclaimed Graphic Artist (Elmano Henrique) who painted pictures in his spare time. My father is an architect, and my uncle is a renowned sculptor (Gastão Manoel Henrique). My other grandfather was a navy admiral and a pharmaceutical chemist.
I had been exposed to art and architecture since I was a child. My parents would take me to see the São Paulo Biennial whenever possible, as well as other museums such as MASP and MAM.
I lived in São Paulo/SP from the age of two until eighteen. After a brief stint (ten months) in Amparo/SP, where I familiarized myself with woodworking as an apprentice in a workshop for four months.
At nineteen, I moved back to my hometown and lived with my uncle Gastão, who taught me observational drawing, shared important art tips, and provided beneficial life advice. In Niterói, I attended preparatory courses while working as an intern in an architectural firm. In 1985, at the age of nineteen, I took the entrance exam and got accepted into Industrial Design at ESDI - Superior School of Industrial Design - affiliated with UERJ - State University of Rio de Janeiro, in the city of Rio de Janeiro. I studied at this school for three years, from 1986 to 1988. I found a stronger affinity with the practical activities in the workshops, such as woodworking, metalworking, plastering, and photography. I also enjoyed spatial drawing, technical drawing, graphics, and coloring techniques.
In my second year of college, 1987, I purchased a kayak that was built by my technical drawing professor. I started paddling around Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, and Búzios. I began venturing into the sea, wanting to enjoy the incredible maritime nature the city had to offer. Due to environmental reasons (many students and some teachers smoked in the classroom), I couldn't adapt to the foul cigarette smoke and found some classes boring, such as economics and physics, in which I failed due to non-attendance or lack of interest.
Kayaking strengthened my body and cleared my mind, providing greater control and strength to execute artworks throughout my life. It brought mental hygiene, allowing innovative ideas to emerge in my mind due to the emptying of turbulent thoughts, and the physical and mental well-being generated by endorphins (produced through sports) after hours of paddling.
In 1989, after living in Niterói and Rio de Janeiro for four years, I moved to Campinas-SP (where I still reside today). In Campinas, I had a brief experience at an advertising agency and another architectural firm, for about three months, before joining FAU-PUCC - Faculty of Architecture and Urbanism of the Pontifical Catholic University of Campinas.
Due to issues with smoking students and professors, after two years of good work and significant learning, I decided to leave that college. Since I used to ride my bike to college and exercised extensively before and after classes, it was impossible to continue in that insane conflict. For the following three years after leaving architecture, I participated in mountain bike competitions, including state and national championships, frequently placing among the top contenders.
In 1994, I embarked on an arduous and transformative quest for alternative and spiritual communities. I visited three of them, where I experienced revealing spiritual growth, extraordinary learning, and a revitalizing turning point in my life. My values completely changed, and my worldview underwent a radical transformation.