Rodrigo Castro Artilheiro, 43, was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is a former world-class athlete in martial arts, who began sculpting to alleviate PTSD symptoms that he developed following the passing of his father. Rodrigo started formal sculpting training in Atlanta, Georgia with skilled artist, Kevin Chambers. Rodrigo has also studied, and participated in workshops, with artists, Robert Bodem in Greece and Alicia Poccio. Rodrigo’s dream is to help others with PTSD, anxiety, depression and autism to discover the positive impacts of sculpting. Nowadays Rodrigo works for Clayton County schools teaching sculpting for kids.“I truly believe clay is a strong therapeutic tool for the brain. When we touch the clay to form realistic structures, our brains benefit from different chemical reactions, such as the release of oxytocin (empathy), serotonin (mood) and dopamine (reward system). There is a neurological basis for the perception of beauty in art.” clayforthebrain.com