Escadaria Selarón

Jorge Selarón was born in Chile in 1947. He traveled, lived and worked as a painter and sculptor in over 50 countries around the world before deciding to settle in Rio de Janeiro in 1983.

In 1990, Selarón began fully renovating the dilapidated steps that ran along the front of his house. It started out as a side-project to his main passion, painting, but soon became an obsession. The steps were a labor of love, for the artist who resided in a humble little home in Rio’s Lapa neighborhood.

It’s said that at first, neighbors mocked Selarón for his choice of colours as he covered the steps in fragments of blue, green and yellow tiles, the colours of the Brazilian flag.

When Selarón first started his project in 1990, he would often use pieces of broken mirrors and porcelain bath tubs he found in the trash to decorate the ugly, urine-stained staircase outside his home. He even started scavenging around different construction sites and piles of urban waste just to find the perfect piece.

Eventually neighbors started giving Selarón tiles to add to the staircase after they returned from their travels. As the years went on, and fame of the project grew, fans would send Selarón tiles from all over the world.

It is estimated that the 2,000 different tiles along the 125-metre staircase have come from nearly 60 different countries around the world. They contain a variety of unique images like the Playboy Bunny and The Three Stooges.

Out of the thousands of tiles lining the staircase, around 300 of them were hand-painted by Selarón himself and all of which depict a massively pregnant African woman.

Selarón claimed to have sold over 25,000 portraits, all featuring the same pregnant woman which mostly funded his work.

The story behind this image is still unknown and Selarón only said in interviews that it represented a “personal problem” from his past. Another mystery to add to the allure of the magnificent Selarón Staircase.

Selarón was mostly unfazed by the attention given to him by curious onlookers and tourists alike. He was constantly spotted at the steps working by day and treating drunken revelers to fascinating stories and anecdotes by night.

Tiling the stairs was long and exhausting work, but Selarón eventually covered the entire set of steps in tiles.

Shortly before his death, Selarón had stated that “this crazy and unique dream will only end on the day of my death” and sadly that was the case.

In a tragic turn of events for the artist, Selarón was found dead on the famous Lapa steps on January 10th, 2013. His body was covered in burn marks. There are theories that Selarón was murdered due to a conflict with a former business partner that had resulted in death threats.

Evidence however, points to Selarón setting himself on fire. Close friends of the artist had stated that Selarón had fallen into deep depths of depression in the weeks leading up to his death.

In 2009 the steps were featured in Rio's 2016 Olympic bid video "The Passion Unites Us" and reality TV watchers may recognize the stairs from the show The Amazing Race. Selaróns great work has also been featured in many famous magazines, newspapers, travel shows, documentaries and commercials. National Geographic Channel, American Express, Coca-Cola, Kellogg's Corn Flakes, Time and Playboy are just some of the media that the steps have appeared in or on. Selaróns stairs may also look familiar if you are a fan of music videos. They have appeared in videos by artists like as Snoop Dogg's and U2.

Selerons gift to Brazil and a labor of love, now considered an iconic attraction in the heart of Rio de Janeiro.

If you are planning a trip to Rio de Janeiro these iconic steps should be on your must visit list along with other locations in Lapa. The area is very eclectic and one of the more interesting parts of Rio de Janeiro. There are many sites to visit and great restaurants to be found in the area.

If you are planning a trip to Rio de Janeiro or would like to learn more about the city, you can watch a full series on YouTube by following the link below.

Lovin' it on Phuket Presents: Rio de Janeiro

For content from around the world check out the Lovin' it on Phuket YouTube Channel. You can also find LIOP on other social media like Instagram, Facebook and Tik-Tok where you will find many images, shorter videos and a variety of content from places like Rio de Janeiro, Istanbul, Egypt and more.

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