🎨 What if you could create your way around the world?
For Brazilian-born artist Bakari Santos, that's exactly how his extraordinary journey began.
As a young artist in Brazil, Bakari had an adventurous idea: use his creative talents to finance a journey across Latin America, exploring different cultures, ancient civilizations, archaeological sites, museums, and artistic traditions along the way.
Armed with his artwork, handmade jewelry, crafts, and an insatiable curiosity about the world, he spent two years backpacking through Latin America, eventually arriving in Los Angeles in 1978.
What happened next became a life filled with unexpected opportunities, remarkable people, and artistic reinvention.
As Bakari himself puts it:
"I came in as a hippie, and I became a diplomat."
And that's only the beginning of his story!
🌟 Meet Bakari Santos
Born Carlos Henrique Santos, Bakari is a Brazilian artist whose creative life has unfolded across continents, cultures, and artistic disciplines.
After arriving in Los Angeles, he found an unexpected opportunity working with the Brazilian consulate—an experience that helped him establish a new life in California while continuing to pursue his art.
Over the decades, Bakari has worn many hats.
He's been a painter, jewelry maker, cultural event producer, music promoter, dancer, henna artist, and guide introducing international visitors to the American West.
His artistic practice includes enameling, etching, and painting, often incorporating symbols and imagery rooted in Afro-Brazilian and Caribbean cultural traditions.
His work has appeared in galleries, consulates, and art fairs across the United States and Latin America.
But perhaps the most fascinating part of Bakari's story isn't any single accomplishment.
It's how one creative life can lead to so many others.
🌎🎨 What will we explore with Bakari?
Join us for an evening of storytelling, art, travel, and cultural discovery as Bakari shares the experiences that shaped his extraordinary journey.
🥾 Two Years, Seven Countries & One Big Adventure — How a young Brazilian artist financed his backpacking journey by selling his artwork, jewelry, and crafts.
🏛️ Discovering the World Through Art — The archaeological sites, museums, and cultures he encountered while traveling through Latin America.
🇧🇷 From Brazil to Los Angeles — What brought him to California in 1978 and how an unexpected opportunity with the Brazilian consulate changed his life.
🎨 The Many Lives of an Artist — Painting, jewelry, enameling, etching, and finding creative ways to earn a living without abandoning his artistic passions.
🥁 Music, Dance & Brazilian Culture — His experiences promoting Brazilian bands and events and performing Lambada throughout Los Angeles.
🌿 The Art of Henna — How he became involved in henna body painting in the 1990s and helped introduce the art form to West Coast audiences.
🌍 Art, Identity & Cultural Heritage — The Afro-Brazilian and Caribbean symbols that appear in his artwork and the stories they carry.
❤️ Finding Home Between Cultures — His enduring connection to Brazil, his love for his adopted country, and what decades of travel have taught him about belonging.
💬 Ask Bakari! — Bring your questions about art, travel, creativity, culture, and a life lived with curiosity.
🍷 A life less ordinary. An evening worth sharing.
You don't need to be an artist to enjoy this conversation.
You just need to appreciate a good story.
Bakari's journey is a reminder that creativity isn't limited to what we make—it can shape how we travel, how we connect with others, and how we build a life.
Sometimes the most interesting opportunities are the ones we never planned.
And sometimes a backpack, a little artwork, and a willingness to explore can change everything.
Come enjoy a glass of wine, settle in, and travel through the remarkable life of Bakari Santos—without ever leaving Los Alamos! 🍷🌎
🎨🌎 WORDS TO LIVE BY SPEAKER SERIES
📅 Friday, February 5, 2027
⏰ 5:30–7:00 PM
🎤 Guest Speaker: Bakari Santos
📍 Clementine Carter Wines & Babi's Beer Emporium + Kafana
388 Bell Street • Los Alamos, CA
💌 RSVPs are appreciated whenever possible, but never required:
sonja@clementinecarterwines.com
Good wine. Fascinating people. Stories worth sharing. 🍷✨
