Gustavo Maciel is a plastic artist from Salvador, known mainly for his work in concrete, which he named "
fossilized art". His works are present in two exhibitions of
CASACOR in 2025 – in São Paulo and Bahia. However, those who see his creations displayed cannot imagine the unusual journey he has taken to get here: Gustavo is a dentist and discovered his passion for the arts while experimenting with
sculpting ostrich eggs with a dental drill. “I have always done art since I was little, but nothing professional. At some point, my brother had a farm that raised ostriches and had some leftover egg shells. He gave me some and said: 'Do something with these, you draw well.' So I started to carve the shell with a dentist's motor,” recalls the artist in an interview with CASACOR. Everything changed when Gustavo traveled to the United States and encountered an artistically carved wall. It was then that the "former dentist" realized he could apply the
same technique used on the eggs to the walls. The result of his creative experimentation appears in the
projects of Meneghisso & Pasquotto Arquitetura (SP) and Ian Carvalho (BA) at CASACOR.
Fossilized Art
As mentioned, the name “fossilized art” was created by Gustavo Maciel himself. This is because the excavation work in walls resembled
archaeological excavations of fossils. To execute it, the artist uses
simple materials: chisel (electric or manual), gouge, hammer drill, and hammer – in addition to a wall in good condition, of course. “I always like to innovate. Many people started to contact me to make
coastal houses – I believe that’s because they are more permanent residences where people don't think of moving in the short term. So I make many designs related to the beach and fishing. But it’s not necessarily a trademark of mine. I always value
works that bring feelings – like a hobby, music, or memory – not just a merely decorative image,” he reveals. Despite the elaborate result, Gustavo assures that the production process is also not complex. After developing sketches and getting client approval, the artist says it takes
only two to four days for execution. Once finished, it is just necessary to varnish the wall to ensure greater durability for the work.
CASACOR São Paulo
The Bahian artist has drawn the attention of visitors at CASACOR SP with his work in the
Natureza em Essência project by Meneghisso & Pasquotto Arquitetura. It is a
27 m2 bathroom inspired by the long-standing partnership between architects Mariana and Alexandre. “The team from Meneghisso & Pasquotto contacted me through Instagram with the idea of making a
flock of birds. Since they are a couple, they also wanted a design that portrayed the
balance between the masculine and feminine. I suggested including a little tree in the art – which would serve as a shade for the real garden that was planned for that space. We made some sketches until we got there and it turned out really nice!” he explains.
CASACOR Bahia
At CASACOR Bahia, Gustavo Maciel is featured in not just one, but two spaces in the 2025 edition. The fossilized art stands out in Ian Carvalho’s
Family Room, where "poetry and affection promote a dive into the emotional origins of one’s dreams,” according to the architect’s own description. No wonder, Gustavo's design is
directly aligned with the proposal of CASACOR in 2025. "I sculpted a sowing man, since the theme of CASACOR is
Sowing Dreams. It was a pretty quick process; the architect already knew what they wanted, and I just defined the location of the elements. The wall is old, which also made it easier to break through." In addition, the professional has also signed a
painting in the Milcent Arquitetura project. The challenge was to create a large canvas with a theme related to
music. This space occupies what was once the dance and music room of the old N. S. das Mercês School. Hence, the idea came to draw
Miles Davis, a trumpeter considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century – a perfect addition to the decor! "I didn’t like what I was doing. I also didn’t feel that people would like it if I announced my canvases for sale, for example. The love for my own works only came later, when I started to understand that it wasn’t made just for me; there were people who looked at it and liked it. So I detached myself a bit and managed to evolve in that area, understand myself as an artist and express everything that was kept inside me," he concludes.
