I’m working on a new collection inspired by the Brazilian Carnival. This theme is something I deeply love and admire—not because of the party itself, but because of what it represents. Carnival came to Latin America with the European colonisers. In Brazil, it began around the 18th century with masked balls exclusively for high society, attended only by white people, while Black people were still enslaved.
Over time, and after the abolition of slavery, Carnival became a popular celebration that took over the streets and belonged to everyone. The celebration embraced the rhythm of samba, and its lyrics became a way to criticise social issues and politicians. It was—and still is—an act of resistance.
For my new collection, I tried to tell these stories through my paintings and add a twist. I included a Black woman in a masked ball, a transgender woman in the street carnival, and a tribute to the samba “Heróis da Liberdade” (Heroes of Freedom), one of the most famous sambas, known for its bold political message of freedom and its implicit critique of the military dictatorship ruling Brazil at the time.
I also have a series of watercolour paintings that represent the samba schools of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro.
