Mermaid Project

Leo : Luis Eduardo de Oliveira was born in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in 1944. Despite his passion for art, he studied engineering at the university. Actively involved in political protests against the military dictatorship, he was forced to leave Brazil in 1971, living in exile first in Chile and then in Argentina. When he returned to Sâo Paulo in 1974, he abandoned the political struggle to dedicate himself to drawing. Beginning as an illustrator for an American company, he quickly tired of a job stifling his creativity. His first story was published in O Bicho magazine in the mid-70s. At the same time, he discovered European comics through "Pilote" and "Métal Hurlant"–and it was love at first sight. Moving to Paris in 1981 to try his fortune, he worked in advertising for a time while waiting for success to arrive. In 1986, the creator of "Barbarella" asked him to illustrate some realistic stories for Okapi magazine. In 1989, his work on a life of Gandhi attracted the attention of writer Rodolphe, who enlisted him to illustrate his new series "Trent." When the first volume appeared in 1991, it was the beginning of Leo's career. Two years later, he finally fulfilled an old dream by publishing the first of five books in the series "Aldebaran," written and drawn by himself. This successful science-fiction saga was followed by a second cycle, "Betelgeuse," in 2000 and a third, "Antares," in 2007.