"Love in the form of art"

From "Acontece" magazine, Brazil

Author: Jade Matarazzo

Hegina Rodrigues left Brazil in the 70’s and since then has lived in many parts of the world including Central and Latin America, Europe, Nepal, India and Indonesia and many other places.

In the early 80’s Rodrigues felt the need to begin showing her art again and was accepted at the prestigious Provincetown Art Association and Museum in Provincetown Mass. Having moved to Mexico, Rodrigues spent her time going to museums and studying the art of Mariano Rodriguez, Frida Kahlo, Rufino Tamayo and other great Mexican and Cuban masters.

In the late 80’s the artist moved to Florida where her art was well accepted in art galleries and local competitions including the Boca Raton Museum of Art, The Coral Springs Museum of Art, The Latin American Museum of Art and gallery in Coral Gables Miami.

Rodrigues has also created and directed many local programs for adults and children besides being a yoga instructor. The artist also works with nonprofit projects in many communities: The Cultural Caravan to benefit adolescents at risk, summer projects for adults and children from the oncology department, art therapy for children in the Oncology Centre at Jackson Memorial Hospital among others.

In Brazil the artist has worked in creating and teaching painting classes in schools for children that otherwise would never have art teaching or materials, for example the Pataxos Indegenous people's village in Caraiva, Bahia.

Rodrigues is considered an abstract expressionist figurative painter. She has yet to touch the surface of what is to come. Her work is in constant evolution and is a passion that she follows throughout her life. She is inspired by many: Olivier Roult, Diebenkorn, Nathan Oliveira, Manuel Neri, De Kooning, Frida and many others.