By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2024-09-26 20:09:14 | Updated at 2024-09-30 17:16:49
3 days ago
A Brazilian artist's career took off after an influencer wandered into the supermarket where she worked as a cashier.
Jéssica Lira, 27, was in the middle of a shift in June when Instagrammer Otto Compiani walked into the supermarket in the southeastern city of Joinville and was shocked at how much she resembled pop star singer Sandy.
Compiani asked his followers if they agreed that the woman, who was bagging a customer's groceries, was really the singer who rose to fame in the 1990s with her brother in the duo Sandy & Junior.
The video had more than 10,000 views by the time Lira had settled down at home and eventually caught the attention of Sandy.
The singer was in awe of the drawings on Lira's Instagram and pushed the young woman to chase her dream with a heartfelt message.
Jéssica Lira's (left) career as an artist took off in June when she was unknowingly recorded by an influencer, who thought she resembled Sandy (right), a famous singer
The days of Jéssica Lira (pictured) as a cashier at supermarket in the southeaster Brazil town of Joinville were numbered when a video in which an influencer asked if she resembled star singer Sandy went viral in June. Lira would work two more weeks before she quit to concentrate on her career as an artist
'I believe that things don't happen by chance,' Sandy wrote. 'Be happy, thank you for your affection.'
Lira continued to work for another two weeks and had to walk away for good in July.
'I began to realize that I was not able to reconcile the two things,' Lira said. 'I would come home tired and then start drawing and doing live shows.'
'My clients themselves began to encourage me to dedicate myself to art,' Lira added. 'After thinking about it a lot and realizing that I needed time to fulfill my commitments to deliver the works, I decided to leave.'
Brazilian realism artist Jéssica Lira (left) saw her career take off in June after social media influencer Otto Compiani visited the supermarket where she worked as a cashier and was shocked at how much she resembled Sandy (right), a pop singer
Jéssica Lira (pictured) said companies have come forward with offers to work on promotional campaigns
Jéssica Lira (pictured) has seen commissions for drawings increase ever since the viral video filmed by influencer Otto Compiani in June when he walked into the supermarket were Lira worked and did a double-take after thinking Brazilian singer Sandy bagging groceries at the cashier counter
Lira found her passion for art at the early age of 7, but seriously began focusing on it six years ago.
She hosted her first show in July and companies soon followed with offers to work on promotional campaigns.
'I had never done an exhibition before, my dream was to have an opportunity like this and with the repercussion I started receiving invitations to several events,' said Lira while recalling how fans approached her to say how much she resembled Sandy.
