I come from the favela, and it was there that I learned to observe the world. My art emerges from the intersection of memory, Black identity, the African diaspora, Pan-Africanism, and peripheral culture. By researching my own history—which includes Cape Verde, my family’s migrations, and the urban experiences that shaped me—I began to understand that creating is also an act of preservation and reconnection with a larger collective history.
IFF emerged from this process of identification. For me, it is a space for reconnecting with my roots, building narratives, and transforming experiences into visual language. I work primarily with discarded materials such as cardboard, wood, and used fabrics because they carry a meaning that goes beyond sustainability. These materials allow me to reflect on the ways Black bodies, histories, and cultures have often been treated as if they had no value. Discarded objects also become a way of speaking about the art market itself, both in Brazil and abroad, where Black artists still encounter limited opportunities for recognition, visibility, and long-term presence.
Transforming discarded materials into art is a way of challenging this logic. It is an affirmation that what has been ignored remains alive, generating beauty, memory, and future. My work engages with Pan-Africanism, street culture, and the creative power of marginalized communities, understanding art as a tool for continuity, expression, and reconstruction.
