The Açaí fruit is carried in baskets to the historic market in Belem. Each boat has its own stable of baskets which are painted and marked to be collected again when they again set off onto the river. These used Açai baskets were purchased, opened and put together again to form a large panel with two layers. Hundreds of glass strass pieces are glued into the hidden second layer of the round pieces to reveal flashes of light at some angles not unlike fireflies. 
Not unlike açai, the leather of the pirarucu has made its way across the border of the state and continent, the flesh of the fish is mostly consumed locally, it’s leather is mostly exported for the high end fashion market and has in itself become an experiment in ecological sustainability. For the paintings the grid of the fish scales are used as guides for mark making.

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