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The artist once said: 'Dede is an extraordinarily talented dancer and choreographer. I first saw her on television in a pop video on MTV, dancing so fast and beautifully it was shocking. She's from Sao Paulo in Brazil and has settled in London, which she loves, with her charming Italian husband. It was a great joy painting her. She's warm, passionate and occasionally fiery. She can be very funny. She was usually smiling, often laughing and frequently teasing me. You don’t see that side of her in this painting, but I think the image suggests something of the graceful determination and dedication behind her success. At one stage, she earned her living jumping out of cakes at parties in Portugal. She ended up leading and directing her own dance troupe, and has gone on tour all over the world with famous bands like Basement Jaxx.
It's lovely to spend time with someone who loves what she does and does it well. In the breaks between poses she would sometimes dance and sometimes fall asleep. I did some exploratory drawings for fun and then decided on this strong pose. She's in north light which suits her warm colouring.
The painting took about 40 hours, or 10 sessions. The tattoo of the apple you can just see on the right is real and was fun to paint (I've invented tattoos on other people). The last time I saw Dede she'd shorn off those lovely locks. Her hair was less than an inch long.'
Royal Society of Portrait Painters People's Portraits collection at Girton College, University of Cambridge
Cambridge
Title
Dede Cossta, Brazilian Dancer
Date
2003
Medium
oil on canvas
Measurements
H 61 x W 46 cm
Accession number
520
Acquisition method
on loan from the Royal Society of Portrait Painters
Work type
Painting
