Douglas Tavares Santos, known as Gais, has emerged from the slums of Rio de Janeiro to become one of the Brazilian art world’s most prominent young talents. His first contact with art was as part of the Rio graffiti scene, creating works on the sides of buildings and underpasses; however he soon moved away from the city’s walls and into its galleries. Rooted in Brazilian modernism, his work often depicts abstract cityscapes, and is infused – like that of so many Rio artists – with the bold colour and rhythm of Carioca culture.