“It’s kind of supernatural, when I paint. I don’t think too much before I start - I like to create on the wall. Sometimes I might sketch on a piece of paper, but I never finish. Mostly I just start playing." Inspired by nature, myths, folklore and popular culture, Mateus Bailon explores connections between humans and natural world. The artist is originally from Itajal, a small coastal town in the south of Brazil - the nearest major city is São Paulo, a place which in itself has become a mecca for street artists from across the globe and where Mateus is currently based. Growing up in a rural part of a country with one of the richest bird diversities in the world (approximately 60% of all South American bird species are found in Brazil), it's no surprise that Mateus has a natural affinity with the exotic creatures he paints. But the artist's choice of subject matter is not a purely aesthetic decision, the beautiful birds and fish he depicts are intended to represent the human condition. "Just as fish that are unable to survive outside of the water, or like birds that are vulnerable to attack, humans are extremely fragile - many humans are trapped within the urban landscape and so too are the animals I paint." Bailon's murals vary from small, intimate pieces to vast murals that are truly monumental in scale - always executed with super vibrant colours, elaborate design schemes and technical precision, Bailon's work is a thing of extraordinary beauty - his work has been exhibited internationally and murals can be spotted on the streets of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, London, Manchester, Paris, Barcelona, Rome and Miami.