A giraffe and a fish carved out of wood and richly colored, arranged in a warehouse in Água Doce do Maranhão, caught the attention of the Mapearte* team in March 2017. They went looking for the author and found him on his site, creating others animals. To the delight of the researchers, attached to the house was a room full of them. Until then, his creations had left there only to give gifts to friends and neighbors, like Charles, the warehouse owner. Hiorlando was the name they chose for him before he was born. At the time of registration, however, his father preferred to honor the boy's grandfather and switched to João Pereira Marques. Born in 1963, in this region of breathtaking scenery, between the Lençóis Maranhenses and the Delta do Parnaíba, in the João Peres village, in Araióses. Then he moved to the old village of Frecheiras, later emancipated with the name of Água Doce do Maranhão, where he lives until today, on the farm that belonged to his parents. He worked in the salt works of a nearby island and as a sea stevedore, replacing his father, until a fall just over 10 years ago injured his spine and restricted his mobility. It was at this time that he gave way to the desire to sculpt wood, which he had been carrying for a long time. He made a very big sea lion and put it under the cashew tree. It was a hit in the neighborhood. Other animals appeared according to what each branch seemed to suggest. Lately, TV documentaries about animals have challenged the artist to create scorpions, eight-eyed spiders, centipedes and unknown animals. What I really like is to make crazy animals , I do either water or dry, I can do these things easily, he says. Although he doesn't like to create dolls, the few he has made are also very good, all wearing name tags, with suggestive first and last names… Hiorlando developed a very characteristic language, an individual expression that makes him a popular artist. Cashew branches, anglerfish and cedar are the woods he usually uses. In his pieces, he started to sign Hiorlando, correcting the change of name, which he believes has hindered him for a long time. Its bright-eyed creatures and sapeca faces carry the artist's soul. We are delighted to share this discovery and bring this lively fauna for everyone to enjoy. Hiorlando deserves to be known beyond the fresh waters of Maranhão. Paula Porta curator December 2017 * Mapping and Documentation of Artesanato Maranhense , a CCVM project in partnership with the Government of Maranhão, which is sponsored by Vale. The team of researchers travels through the municipalities in search of active artisans, recording their work with the aim of producing a database, with free access, to publicize this cultural heritage of Maranhão and create opportunities. The first stage includes 100 cities, 24 have already been visited. This exhibition and the Curiá Market are the first developments of the project.