A 12-year-old Brazilian student was the winner of a competition promoted by FIFA and will have his art printed on the Brazilian team’s official bus during the next World Cup. The result was released this Friday and highlighted the talent of Leo Silveira, who currently lives in the state of Massachusetts, in the United States.
A sixth-grade student in the city of New Bedford, Leo created an illustration that depicts fans gathered around a banner with the phrase “ Vamos Brasil ”. The work drew attention due to its composition and grandstand atmosphere, one of the elements valued at .
In an interview with CBS, the young man said that he sought inspiration from an image linked to Vasco, the club he supports. According to him, the reference came from someone holding a banner at a landmark moment for the team.
“It was a drawing of a guy holding a banner saying ‘we will resist’ because at that time we were fighting against relegation and I was inspired by him,” he said.
The creation process took about a week, during which Leo dedicated himself to developing the details of the illustration. In addition to seeing his work gain international visibility by decorating the team’s bus, the student was also rewarded with two tickets to watch the match between Brazil and Morocco, at MetLife Stadium.
Participation in the competition was encouraged by professor Aleisea Guzman, who recognized the student’s potential in combining two of his main passions. “I’m interested in art and great art. So, I knew that these two combined would be incredible for him”, he commented.
