About the Logo

The logo artwork was commissioned on behalf of Cátedra Paulo Freire to Art Design Rafael Ferreira on February 9, 2016. 

Paulo Freire - Logo Description by the author

When I received the mission to create a logo for the Cátedra Paulo Freire, my first reaction was to feel honored. After all, creating something that collaborates to maintain Paulo Freire's legacy should at least be considered an honor. After the joy, the inevitable happened: the burden of responsibility. What could I do that would at least be worthy of representing his work? I spent a few days studying and doing visual research to see if any ideas would emerge. A little over a week, already worried, I started asking myself some questions. One of them became crucial to me in the creative process: how could I create something that represented someone who did so much? I spent many hours in front of a blank computer screen and, finally, the idea was born. What could describe someone who has done so much? A mosaic. Small pieces that form a whole.

Paulo Freire was a man who, throughout his life, in every published work, in every printed book, in every disseminated idea, he challenged and influenced the principles of modern education and revolutionized many other areas of thought. In short, through his various works, he created something bigger, something grand, a philosophical work of art translated into everything he did. The final result of the logo came naturally. Small pieces that makeup Paulo Freire's face. These little pieces represent his work, and the shape of his face represents his entire legacy.

Rafael Ferreira

Rafael hails from a background of classic advertising and graphic design, beginning his career in advertising agencies in Brazil. He has since built upon his expertise in branding and advertising with more recent work in UX/UI design and marketing. Currently, he is immersed in Silicon Valley as a co-founder of a fast-growing startup. However, his fascination for logotype creation - branding, in its most primitive form - is still a personal passion he actively pursues.