Chão de Historias (Ground of Stories)
In “Chão de Histórias” (Ground of Stories), I explore the relationship between territory and family history by recognizing roots and seeds that transcend generations. The work is based on a mirroring between humans and the land, highlighting the construction of a genuine sense of identity and belonging through artistic gestures that weave together past and present, emphasizing both transformations and continuities. The project consists mainly of three bodies of work, comprising: landscape and vegetation photographs taken by me at the backlands of Pernambuco State in northeastern Brazil, appropriated portraits from my father’s family archive, and materials such as lace and clay.
“Album de Família” (Family Album) features close-up images, presented as portraits, of typical Caatinga species—a semi-arid biome exclusive to Northeast Brazil. It is a recognition of the resilience of the Sertão, mirroring the resilience of family roots, which can also flourish when honored.
“Dobra do Tempo” (Fold of Time) presents collages composed of landscapes captured by me in 2022 in the regions of Floresta and Vale do Catimbau, combined with hand cut landscapes from my family archive, and Renaissance lace—a local tradition introduced to Brazil in the 19th century by French nuns and later passed on to Indigenous women. These collages establish a continuity of forms between these three “materials,” weaving a superimposition of times.
“Encontro” (Encounter) brings together portraits of my paternal grandmother’s distant ancestors and clay, representing the dry, sandy soil of the region. It is a kind of synthesis of my origins and the central premise of “Chão de Histórias” : we are one with the land that holds our roots and seeds.
