Aster da Fonseca was born in 1961 in Volta Redonda, Brazil. He was raised in Brazil and moved to Washington, DC in 1995. Aster has no formal art training, but began to paint in 1997. He is a self-taught artist and is largely influenced by Matisse, Picasso and de Kooning. His exploration of painting has led him in and out of a number of styles and he continues to delve into his own creativity to express himself.

Aster has exhibited his artwork in many venues around DC including the Brazilian-American Cultural Institute, Results Gallery, Touchstone Gallery, Studio Gallery, Eklektikos Gallery, and Museum of Contemporary Art in Georgetown and is an original member of SCAM, an artists’ group formed in 2000.