Dog in the air

Selaron's Stairs (Escadaria Selarón) are a colorful mosaic tile stairway in Lapa, Rio de Janeiro.

Jorge Selarón, a Chilean-born artist, paints a picture in front of his house on Selaron's Stairs.

View of a hand painted tile (depicting a pregnant African woman) on Selaron's Stairs, a mosaic staircase made of colorful tiles.

Jorge Selarón paints a picture in front of his house on Selaron's Stairs.

A woman sits on Selaron's Stairs between the neighborhoods of Santa Teresa and Lapa in Rio de Janeiro.

A tile from the Czech Republic (Prague) seen on Selaron's Stairs, a mosaic staircase made of colorful tiles.

Mostly young foreign tourists relax, drink beer and smoke on Selaron's Stairs (Escadaria Selarón) in Rio de Janeiro.

The self-portrait of Jorge Selarón seen on Selaron's Stairs (Escadaria Selarón).

Selaron's Stairs

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – February 2012

Selaron's Stairs (Escadaria Selarón) are a colorful mosaic tile stairway in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. World-famous staircase, mostly covered by vibrant yellow, green and blue tiles (inspired by the colors of the Brazilian flag), is the masterpiece of Chilean-born artist Jorge Selarón who considers it as “a personal tribute to the Brazilian people”. Connecting the neighborhoods of Santa Teresa and Lapa, the stairway is made up of 250 steps and measures 125 meters long. In 1990 Selarón began work on the stairway, creating a constantly evolving piece of art, now adorned with over 2,000 brightly colored tiles collected from over 60 countries. Selarón funds his one man's project through donations and the sale of his black-and-red paintings which mostly depict a pregnant African woman or himself. Living his passion, the eccentric 65-year-old artist claims that “this crazy and unique dream will only end on the day of my death”.

Selaron's Stairs

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – February 2012

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