Soft Spears

Soft Spears explores the harmony between opposing forces, challenging false dichotomies. The installation consists of 100 soft white spears, crafted from repurposed fabric—spun, coiled, and treated with biomaterial. At once aggressive and peaceful, these forms occupy a space between weapon and textile, hardness and softness.

Woven on a three-meter-long improvised loom, the rigid textile elements serve as warp threads, crossed by a thin, flexible metal wire weft. The process becomes a physical and performative act—a negotiation of tension and release. Once woven, the piece is shaped into a spiral, visually mirroring the search for balance: ups and downs, tangles and untangles. Though visually intense, when suspended in mid-air, the piece feels weightless—inviting viewers to move through it and reflect on the interplay of rigidity and fluidity, stillness and action, tradition and innovation.

Soft Spears embodies duality—celebrating coexistence as a space for justice.

Materials 

Cotton fabric, cotton thread, metal wire
Techniques 
Weaving, biomaterial, coiling
Dimension 
6'7x3'11x3'11"

Location 
New York, US

Year 
2025

In Praise of Shadows

I was wandering solo through Japan, immersed in all its mesmerizing culture, and nature, when Taguspark invited me to create an installation for their central garden. I drew inspiration from the use of lights and shadows in Japanese art and architecture, as well as Jun'ichirō Tanizaki's book In Praise of Shadows, to start sketching this installation.

Shadows, created by natural light, are the fundamental element of this piece, which is monochromatic, delicate, and has a narrow profile. The installation takes shape through its nuances, punctual transparency, and attention to detail.

The interweaving of the ropes in the grid is inspired by Filé lace, a traditional textile technique that uses a cotton net to embroider mostly floral motifs. The collision between its traditional form and the modern adaptation I've created here challenges this craft's potential, beauty, and applicability, seeking a disruptive and bold result.

Transparency became a significant aspect of this outdoor installation as it serves as a window to the entire landscape, making it part of the artistic composition. Depending on the time of day or season, visitors will have a unique perspective on the installation's relationship with its surroundings.

Inspired by the building's strong lines, I combined different proportions in this 3-piece set. 

Client

Taguspark

Production 
Crewz Productions

Materials 

Braided rope polyester HT,

steel, concrete

Location 
Oeiras, Portugal

Year 
2023

Cardo

"Cardo" emerges from an artistic exploration that embodies the core values of the two projects that host it: Lãnd, which seeks to innovate and celebrate the wool of Serra da Estrela, and Projecto Queijeiras, which empowers and honors the women cheese-makers of the region.

This sculpture recalls both the thistle flower, traditionally used for curdling cheese, and the pompom, a simple yet iconic form in wool craftsmanship. By reimagining these elements on a monumental scale, this work presents them through an innovative and contemporary lens. “Cardo” symbolizes a unifying core, highlighted by a color gradient that suggests growth and new opportunities. The sculpture takes shape through a central sphere from which 400 hand-dyed virgin wool stems radiate. 

Client

Lãnd

Materials 

Hand-dyed virgin wool,

steel

Location 
Manteigas, Portugal

Year 
2024
Photography 
Leonardo Rosa

Muga

Straw is a surprising material. Soaked, it bends and twists in unexpected ways. The moment I wove the first sample and heard the structure shift, and smelled the earthy scent of the straw, I was hooked.

For weeks, I knotted each strand by hand, letting it grow into this big wavy, spiky form. It felt like walking through a field—wild and full of energy. Dyeing it with indigo, the teal tones made it feel fresh and vibrant, like it had just been picked.

Muga is about letting go, trusting the process, and giving space for the material—and the viewer—to shape the outcome.

—

Created during the first semester of MFA Textiles in Parsons School of Design with the support of Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

Materials 

Raw straw dyed with indigo

Location 
New York

Year 
2024

Ethereal Garden

Group exhibition by Aheneah, Maria Brito and Ziqui

Inspired by the enigmatic beauty of nature, this exhibition reflects the life of flowers and corals, the structure of rocks and crystals and the beauty of sunlight and its reflections. However, our intention is not to portray only the visible, but also evoke intangible sensations and memories.

I once again took this chance to challenge the conventions of the classical cross-stitch technique. Recently, I have been experimenting with brushed mohair wool and its ability to add movement and fluidity to the otherwise still and structured forms of cross-stitch.
Through vibrant colours and abstract compositions, I strived to capture my hazy memories of the nature beauty, immortalising the delicate flower tones and the shimmering water reflections.

Palácio da Quinta da Piedade 
Galeria Municipal Jovem
Vila Franca de Xira 

2024

Nova Onda

In 2022, Rio Loco, a festival that happens every year in Toulouse, chose Portugal and Portuguese Culture as that year’s focus. It was an enormous honor to be in Toulouse representing my country, especially having the opportunity to think and design such an enormous installation.

As a Portuguese artist, the festival's theme, "Nova Onda" felt close to me. As soon as I started sketching, the wave was a constant element in my compositions, either as a motif, background, or detail. As the drawing progressed, I noticed that the wave could symbolize several key concepts. 

There's an undeniable link between Portuguese identity and the ocean. The big shoreline with the Atlantic is a big part of our history but of our daily lives as well. The peaceful yet violent nature of the sea is an inspiration.

"Saudade" is the nostalgic feeling of longing for something that has passed, but newer generations are reinventing and rediscovering our history and traditions through it. The back and forth, the dynamism and the turmoil growing in Portugal are represented in this installation by its movement, the waves' motion, and the ties' rising.

Promoter
Rio Loco

Materials
Wool and plywood

Location 
Toulouse, France
Year 
2022

Nova Onda

In 2022, Rio Loco, a festival that happens every year in Toulouse, chose Portugal and Portuguese Culture as that year’s focus. It was an enormous honor to be in Toulouse representing my country, especially having the opportunity to think and design such an enormous installation.

As a Portuguese artist, the festival's theme, "Nova Onda" felt close to me. As soon as I started sketching, the wave was a constant element in my compositions, either as a motif, background, or detail. As the drawing progressed, I noticed that the wave could symbolize several key concepts. 

There's an undeniable link between Portuguese identity and the ocean. The big shoreline with the Atlantic is a big part of our history but of our daily lives as well. The peaceful yet violent nature of the sea is an inspiration.

"Saudade" is the nostalgic feeling of longing for something that has passed, but newer generations are reinventing and rediscovering our history and traditions through it. The back and forth, the dynamism and the turmoil growing in Portugal are represented in this installation by its movement, the waves' motion, and the ties' rising.

Promoter
Rio Loco

Materials
Wool and plywood

Location 
Toulouse, France
Year 
2022