The School of Arts and Open Studios of Perquin
An interview with muralist Claudia Bernardi
Introduction
There was a man who was the master of Mangueira, the most famous samba school of Brazil. During the carnival, he was more than just the mestre-sala, the one who is responsible to honor the samba school by holding up its flag while parading down the avenue. He was, at that moment, the master of his own destiny and also a sage who taught all the people that limits are concepts created by those without imagination, and those who don’t have the capacity to transform. There he was, dancing, smiling and sharing his happiness with his school and his community; he was transferring his feelings to those who were applauding him and his courage. He had recovered from his trauma not as a victim, but as a person who found his strength through his past sufferings, a person who was able to imagine a new way of living and had the support of his community to do so. On that day, with just one leg and a crutch, he was the master of dance, the most beautiful and integral member of the samba school, the one who had the imagination to transform his condition of amputee into his stimulus to live.[1]
This story reflects Claudia Bernardi’s idea of the healing process of people who were victims of violence because they live in conflict-affected areas. Claudia is an Argentinean artist who I had the pleasure to interview and who told me this story of the Brazilian mestre-sala she saw in Rio de Janeiro during the carnival of 1981. This story has changed her life. This portrait of the mestre-sala with all his charm, fantastic costume, dancing with just one leg, sharing his happiness with the public, supported by his samba school, was essential for Claudia to confirm her belief that healing can occur to the wounded, or "amputees."
This healing cannot be concentrated on the individual. Instead, it is necessary to take the responsibility to the community. By sharing his/her story with the community, a person is able to transform his/her condition of victimhood to a new person conscious of his/her story but also open to reconstruct his or her life in a positive way. This is essential to artists or peacebuilders to know while developing work with communities in conflict.