Jorge Selarón (1947 – January 10, 2013) was a Chilean painter and ceramist. He is perhaps best known for his work on the Escadaria Selarón, a world-famous set of ceramic tile-covered stairs located in the Lapa and Santa Teresa neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.[1][2]
Selarón moved to the Lapa neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro in the 1980s, settling in a house next to the stairs.[1] In 1990, he began decorating the 215 stairs leading up to the Convent of Santa Teresa with ceramic tiles.[1] His artistic transformation of the stairs, using tiles and porcelain donated by friends and supporters, took twenty years to complete.[1] His stairs, which were declared a city landmark in 2005, were featured in Rio de Janeiro's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics.[1]
Jorge Selarón was found dead on the Escadaria Selarón near his home on January 10, 2013, at the age of 65.[1] His body was found burned on the aforementioned stairs in question.[3] Later in 2013, police has said the main line of investigation was suicide, considering allegations from friends that he was depressive.[4]
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