Copacabana Ilustrada is an artistic project created in 2004 by the artist Celso Mathias, based on his daily experiences in the Copacabana neighborhood, internationally known as "the little princess of the sea". The project arises from the encounter between direct observation, photographic records, and sketches made in the streets, composing a continuous process of visual and sensitive investigation of the urban space.

Inspired by the social dynamics, the human landscape, and the daily rituals of the beach and its surroundings, the work translates into paintings that value everyday life, local customs, and the anonymous characters who build the neighborhood's identity. With a sensitive touch and stylized realism, Copacabana Ilustrada transcends traditional landscape representation, proposing poetic portraits of a vibrant community, marked by diversity, cultural memory, and unique stories that are renewed daily.