Walter Nomura, a.k.a. Tinho,, is one of Brazil’ graffiti pioneers – part of the iconic Pixação movement at the age of 13, he naturally evolved toward graffiti in 1986 – always accompanied by his skateboard to roam and discover Sao Paulo’s streets.

After graduating in Art Education at FAAP in 1997, his work took a notable artistic dimension – creating a junction between street art and contemporary art.

Feeling the necessity to understand his Japanese roots and history, he stayed as dekasegi in Japan from 2001 to 2004 – a research of his own identity which reflects in the deep sensitivity that characterizes his oeuvre.

When coming back to Brazil, Walter Nomura reconnected with Tinho and developed further his scope – collaborating with skateboard brands, exhibiting in São Paulo’s top art galleries or traveling to paint the walls of cities from across the globe. Invited to contribute to the FIFA World Cup 2006 in Germany, sponsored by Nike, his artistic touch is also present in major cities among which Buenos Aires, Santiago, London, Lima, Frankfurt and Paris.

Tinho is versatile – working with painting, installation, sculpture, collage or performance – but never disconnects to his universe exploring the complex relationship between the human and the metropolis which he depicts with poetry and melancholy through a range of deep emotions – loneliness, sadness, confusion, violence, social distortion and violence.

Though, there are no better words than his to describe the depth of his work:

“If I want to bomb for fun, I make colorful and simple characters or throw-ups letters. 

If I am painting big avenues, I like to paint car crashes as they represent unfinished trips - every project that you cannot complete.

If I am painting in abandoned houses or demolitions, I like to paint my lonely children characters with rag dolls as they refer to the loneliness of being in a big city even with millions of people around you. - they’re like the souls of these abandoned and demolished houses.

If I am painting in the streets then I do graffiti, using rollers and spray cans.  Anything can happen – there are streets, cars, people, police, thieves and the weather to deal with.  You also have to paint very quickly so you can finish the work and not be arrested!

I am painting canvases I paint alone, using oil paints and brushes.  Inside my workshop, just me and the canvas in the silence and all the time I need.”

In 2012, Tinho was rewarded with a prestigious 2nd place at the PIPA Prize – legitimating his quest of introducing street art within the contemporary art scene. A quest he has never stopped digging ever since.