I live in Lisbon, Portugal. I have a Bachelor Degree in History, a Master Degree in Fine Arts (Theory of Arts - Photography) and a PhD in Fine Arts / Arts Science by Faculdade de Belas Artes de Lisboa.
My work as a photographer is in relation with my studies in art and photography theory. Now Im working in history of nineteenth century photography, mainly in the creative process of early photographers. My photographic work is about body representation in the tradition of pictorial arts and photographic art and in the issues of women representation.
The essential lines of my work can be divided into two distinct but complementary fields. One has to do with the process of shooting the photo which I consider a moment of performance, of discovery and of establishing a relationship with the other. The second one has to do with the production of the final image. In this process I seek to re-use interpret classical poses of major 'Art' and transform them. I seek the representation of a 'real' body - in the tradition of Mapplethorpe, Edward Weston and others - where one can feel the skin, the sweat and the blood. This body is closely linked to the erotic image as a public image of meanings and it is far from the mainstream image of 'clean Photoshop bodies'. In the image there is always a woman and that’s where Beauty lies. We are in the '' field and not the 'imitare' one. The option for natural light and for the use of the film fall into this process. I sometimes use developed old glass plates that I mix with my negative in a project entitled Blood Silver Salts. Thus, the picture not only emerges as a support of the gaze but it also stands as a questioning text able to intervene in everyday life. That’s the type of meaningful duplicity I am interested in.