Gallery 1: Mee
My first collection is inspired by Margaret Mee, a British botanical artist renowned for her work in the Brazilian Amazon Rainforest. Growing up, you emulated her spirit of exploration, not in the jungle but in your small village. Mee spent 30 years studying and painting Amazonian plants, learning from Indigenous communities about the flora and fauna. She was also an early environmentalist, highlighting the impacts of mining and deforestation. Notably, she made 15 expeditions, culminating in 1988 with her discovery and illustration of the rare Amazonian Moonflower (Selenicereus wittii), which she had sought since 1965.
Born in 1909 in England, Mee studied art and worked as a draughtswoman during WWII. After moving to Brazil in 1952, she became a botanical artist, creating 400 folios, 40 sketchbooks, and 15 diaries documenting the rainforest. Her legacy includes environmental advocacy and a memorial at Kew Gardens after her death in 1988. Her life and work deeply resonate with my artistic journey, blending exploration, nature, and cultural inspiration.
Gallery 2: Xingu
Since childhood, the Xingu River basin has captivated me, home to diverse native Brazilian groups like the Aweti, Kalapalo, and Kayapó, who share cultural traditions in dance, rituals, and crafts. Their body paintings, feathers, and beads, rich with motifs expressing status, mood, and strength, fascinated you. These designs, seen in early prints from Brazil's discovery, use black and red pigments from genipap and urucum plants. Sebastião Salgado's Amazônia photography exhibition deepened my appreciation, showcasing indigenous communities and their intricate body art. The Xingu people, representing fifteen tribes and all four of Brazil’s indigenous language groups, share belief systems and rituals, their symbolism reflecting love, war, hunting, and mourning. I continue to explore their profound cultural depth.
Gallery 3: Água
Portuguese azulejos, with their intricate patterns, have left a lasting cultural imprint in Brazil, particularly in architecture and design. These iconic ceramic tiles, often adorned with shades of blue and white, were adapted in Brazil to reflect local influences, including the lush aquatic flora of its rivers, lakes, and coastal regions. Inspired by this fusion, my illustrations incorporate the greens and blues of Brazilian waters, weaving in motifs of water lilies, mangroves, and other native plants. The interplay of light and color in azulejos mirrors the shimmering reflections of Brazil’s aquatic landscapes, creating a visual dialogue between tradition and nature in my work.
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