In 2017, the mural Contos came to life across the four facades of a historic school in downtown Rio de Janeiro, right between Candelária Church and Central do Brasil. Measuring an impressive 2,500 square meters, the artwork transforms the school's walls into something almost magical: a mother who cannot read, yet through imagination creates stories so fascinating for her children that they truly believe she is reading the book. It is the power of oral storytelling awakening a love for reading.

This touching image reflects a reality still present in Brazil, where many young people and adults have not yet mastered reading and writing. The building that received this artistic intervention carries history within its walls—it was built in 1913 as the girls' annex of a school founded in 1877, during the reign of Dom Pedro II.

The 2018 IBGE figures are striking: around 11.3 million Brazilians over the age of 15 live without knowing how to read or write. If we were to gather all these people into a single city, it would be almost as large as São Paulo, with its 12.2 million inhabitants.

The grandeur of the project caught global attention—Contos was submitted to the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest mural painted by a woman up to 2017, a recognition that highlights the magnitude and importance of the work on the international art scene.

More than just art, the mural is an invitation to reflection. With its playful approach, it raises awareness and empowers, especially celebrating Black and Indigenous ethnicities, who represent about 54% of the Brazilian population. It is art that educates, inspires, and transforms the urban space into an open-air classroom.