Douglas de Castro x Vault Editions: Artist Interview
Douglas de Castro is a Brazilian contemporary artist, illustrator, and co-founder of the acclaimed art and design collective, Bicicleta Sem Freio. Known for his large-scale murals and distinctive visual style, blending psychedelic art, comic book aesthetics, traditional tattoo motifs, and tropical surrealism, de Castro's work explores the tension between real life and dreamlike illusion. Based in the vibrant city of Goiânia, he draws on popular culture and global influences to create richly layered compositions that span illustration, painting, sculpture, and public art. Alongside international exhibitions and collaborations with major brands and musicians, de Castro continues to push his practice in bold, imaginative directions, both solo and part of the Bicicleta Sem Freio duo.
Thank you for taking the time to speak with us today, Douglas! We're excited to learn more about your work and explore your influences and process. Let's go!
Douglas de Castro (Bicicleta Sem Freio), Master Blaster, Acrylic on Canvas. Available in print
1. Your artwork often merges humans, animals, and surreal creatures in dreamlike settings. What draws you to these hybrid worlds, and how do they help you explore ideas about identity, society, or the world we live in today?
My attention in art has always been focused on the figurative. I grew up playing video games, watching cartoons, and helping my father, who is a sculptor and has extensively explored the figurative in his work. As a teenager, I was into a lot of rock music, obsessed with the visuals and all the atmosphere of it all, so I always loved posters and album covers, even though I didn't have much access to this kind of material, living in the pre-internet era. My work has become a mix of almost everything that has inspired me in some way throughout my life, including things that go beyond art, such as people’s behavior, sports, sense of humor, fashion... I've never been much of a reader, so my inspiration comes from my surroundings, my own conclusions about what I see and experience in life, the manual process I develop, the human connections and conversations - both with myself and with people I know and strangers alike. I wish I had read more, so my work could maybe be more elaborate, but at the same time, it's remarkable what the human mind can conceive without much of a literary background.
For a long time, what stimulated me most to draw and paint surreal, psychedelic, and dream-related themes was the possibility of challenging my limited brain and creating things that went beyond my intellectual capacity. I think this was my struggle in search of something like an identity.
Being able to travel the world and meet other artists, painting at festivals and in cities I never thought I'd know, caused a significant shift in my work and made me reflect more on society and the world we live in today. This impact was both positive and negative. One day, I'm wrapped up in my own world, comfortably painting about things I like and that make sense to me, and the next, I feel like talking about themes that move me, even if I am still figuring out how best to express them. It can be unsettling at times, but I believe this discomfort is a natural part of the artist's growth.
Douglas De Castro (Bicicleta Sem Freio), After Party, Acrylic on Canvas. Available in print
2. Do you have a favourite object or tool in your studio, something you always reach for?
Yes! My light table.
3. We get an insight into your work through the WIP videos you share on Instagram. Can you take us through your creative process for a piece like 'Charriscada', from conception to finished work?
My process is very slow, I make numerous sketches before starting to finalize a drawing. I try to develop my ideas manually, on paper, the old-fashioned way, as much as possible. Sometimes I feel that digital art takes me away from what motivated me to want to draw in the first place. This particular piece was abandoned and revisited several times, so the solution I came up with was to approach things more freely when i did the outlines and color shapes, and it was satisfying. It's a dangerous dance I have with my work. Sometimes I take too long to finish a piece, and that makes me spend too much time with it, which leads to all sorts of feelings about it, both good and bad.
Douglas de Castro (Bicicleta Sem Freio), Charriscada, Acrylic on Canvas
4. Your creative practice encompasses illustrations, paintings, murals and sculptures. Are there any other techniques you're looking to explore, or revisit?
Yeah, animation. 2D animation.
5. Is there a book (art-related or otherwise!) that's had a lasting impact on you or your creative process?
6. Your work seamlessly blends a diverse range of influences, from psychedelic art and comic books to botanical art and traditional tattoos. In what ways have your Brazilian heritage and your life in Goiânia shaped the artwork you create?
To be honest, I'm not proud of the fact that my work doesn't yet reflect much of my Brazilian background. Not in an obvious way, at least.
From 2015 to 2023, I created many pieces about my childhood in the neighborhood where I grew up, but most of my art doesn't really touch on themes specific to my region or country. But I believe it's never too late to change that. I sense that a deeper connection to my roots is forthcoming.
Douglas de Castro (Bicicleta Sem Freio), Fungi Fantasy, Hand Drawing with Digital Colourisation
7. Is there a concept or belief you've had to let go of that's helped your creative work grow?
I think the wind is shifting as we speak. My work is getting a bit too controlled and methodical. I'm looking to shake things up and make it more dynamic, I don’t need to be sure and aware about every aspect of my process and the results all the time, it’s getting exhausting haha. Right now, I'm all about experimentation - trying out new materials, processes, and exploring different reasons to create, and talking about the same and different things as well.
Douglas de Castro (Bicicleta Sem Freio) Tropical Botanica, Acrylic on Canvas.
Available in print
8. You're one half of Bicicleta Sem Freio ("Bicycle Without Brake"), working alongside artist Renato Pereira for many years. How has that creative partnership shaped you as an artist, and how does it compare to the experience of working alone?
Renato is a very talented artist and also my best friend. He's currently in his best artistic phase, exhibiting and producing a lot. At BSF, he plays a different role than mine. In addition to working as a designer, he also handles the commercial and bureaucratic aspects of the company, while I'm more involved in the creative and artistic side of the studio. This has resulted in the visual work of Bicicleta sem Freio having more of my "DNA". For a long time, this was great, but now I feel that my personal production is too similar to the studio's commercial production, and I am trying other directions.
Douglas de Castro (Bicicleta Sem Freio), Sunrise, Acrylic on Canvas
9. Can you tell us about an upcoming project, either in your solo work or through Bicicleta Sem Freio?
Currently, Renato is fully focused on preparing for his upcoming solo exhibition, and I'm creating visual content for my rock band, which has decided to start recording new material again. We're also scheduled to paint two murals for the VULICA Festival in Brasília this August.
Douglas de Castro (Bicicleta Sem Freio), Melting, Hand Drawing with Digital Colourisation
10. What are three songs playing on your studio playlist?
- King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard - Magenta Mountain
- Faith No More - Everything is Ruined
- Anderson Paak - Daydreaming
Douglas de Castro (Bicicleta Sem Freio), Double, Acrylic on Canvas
Thank you for your time today, Douglas; we're excited to see where your artwork goes next!
Interested in learning more about Douglas and Bicicleta Sem Freio? Follow Douglas on Instagram and visit Bicicleta Sem Freio's website and Instagram.
