Gustavo was born in Cassia, a small town located in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Although he earned a degree in Journalism, his career path took a detour when he spent a year working as a waiter in London before returning to Brazil. Upon my return, Gustavo landed a job as a reporter at a well-known newspaper in São Paulo. However, the long hours, weekend shifts, and tedious nature of the work left him feeling dissatisfied. This dissatisfaction prompted him to explore photography.
Under the tutelage of Brazilian master Carlos Moreira in 2009, his life took a new direction. Inspired by Moreira’s work and the techniques of color and light utilized by artists such as Harry Gruyaert, Alex Webb, and Gueorgui Pinkassov, he ventured onto the streets of São Paulo with my camera. Since then, he has been captivated by the human condition in urban environments, with a particular focus on the interplay of light and reflections.
In 2014, Gustavo relocated to Brasília, a city that presented unique challenges for street photography. After discovering the bustling chaos of the central Bus Station (Rodoviária), he dedicated himself to capturing its essence starting in 2015. This project gained recognition, winning a category at Pictures of the Year Latam in 2017 and being showcased at prestigious exhibitions including the Centro de Fotografía de Montevideo in 2018 and the 17th International Architecture Exhibition (La Biennale di Venezia) in 2021. Additionally, it led to the publication of my first book, “Maximum Shadow Minimal Light,” by Edition Lammerhuber, accompanied by a solo exhibition in Hamburg in 2019.
Subsequently, in 2022, Gustavo’s “Liquid Series” project was featured in a solo exhibition at Galeria Fiesp in São Paulo and nominated for the Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2023. Alongside his photographic endeavors, he has been sharing my knowledge through workshops conducted worldwide and an online course titled “Introduction to Street Photography” on Domestika. For him, photography transcends the ordinary, serving as a means of self-discovery, understanding the world, and forging connections with others
