Painting, soccer transcend barriers

Sometimes, perhaps, it's better not to be there.

As Brazilian artist Fernando Pacheco was preparing to unveil his World Cup-themed exhibition in Beijing last week, a ruthless German team was crushing his country's hopes in the artist's hometown of Belo Horizonte.

But the color and energy of his paintings suggest that soccer - and even Brazil's dreams of a record sixth championship - will live on in his country. Eyes, a recurring theme in all of his work, are everywhere on his canvases, suggesting an intensity of attention that one sad afternoon could hardly put to rest.