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João Incerti is a self-taught artist based in Rio de Janeiro who paints colorful works with quintessentially Brazilian motifs: tigers, flowers, shining suns. Recently his designs were part of a campaign for the international fashion brand Farm Rio.
This interview is part of The World Made Local, a global collaboration between the seven international editions of Condé Nast Traveler in which 100 people in 100 countries tell us why their home turf should be your next destination.
Tell us about Rio.
I love how Rio is relaxed, easygoing, and disorganized. Nothing looks too serious; you go out to do one thing and end up doing something else. I don’t plan my day, because the city surprises me. I love that we are near the beach and also so close to the forest. This connection with nature is really special—the way the city was constructed to integrate the mountains is just incredible. I’m amazed every time I pass the Lagoa or by the Flamengo and Botafogo Beach.
We have 24 hours in Rio. Where do we go?
I would recommend you stay at the Chez George Airbnb. It’s a beautiful house with a great view of Santa Teresa, and the breakfast is delicious. After breakfast, go directly to the Horto waterfalls. After that, go biking by the Lagoa and then head to Ipanema.
Eat the “Itanhanga sandwich” [salmon with pesto and buffalo mozzarella] with the Silvester Juice at Balada Mix, a tropical restaurant that I love. Then go directly to the beach. I love the beach at Ipanema because you can see the sunset. Stay there till the sun goes down, drinking mate, beer, or caipirinhas, and eating some Globo cookies—the sweet ones are my favorite. In the afternoon we would see the sunset at the Arpoador Rock.
Then go to a bar in Lapa, a bohemian district full of bars and live music, where you can listen to funk or samba or MPB, anything! It’s really fun.
What excites you about Rio now?
The diversity of people, culture, and nature. I love being in the city but so close to nature at the same time. Rio has a lot of outdoor activities—people love to go running, biking, or work out at the beach. It's a very democratic city because you don't need money to do any of those things.
When you travel/are away, what do you miss most about your home country?
When I'm away from home, the thing that I miss the most is the ease of Rio. Going out in flip-flops, dressing comfortably, places to eat are not fancy and don't take too much time; people wearing colorful clothes. It’s an energy that I feel—I can't explain it.
There are tastes that I miss so much when I'm in other countries: tapioca, brigadeiro, requeijão, rice and beans, guaraná, pão de queijo, and açai. You need to taste [those things] in Brazil. Go to Maria Açai for açai. For pão de queijo I like Rei do Mate—you can also drink mate there, though the best mate is from the vendors at the beach.
Follow João Incerti on Instagram @o_incerti
