Why

I create to remember where I come from.

Growing up in Northeastern Brazil, my brother and I spent long afternoons playing in the dark earth of my grandmother’s farm, returning home covered in clay to be washed off under the hose. That memory of soil, family, and place runs through all of my work.

Clay, shaping large vessels from dark earth, allows me to touch both the memory of my childhood and the resilience of the women who raised me. Though I have lived in Lisbon and now the United States, my work continues to root me in Brazil, in its textures, smells, colors, and stories. I sign these pieces as Antonia, my given first name, chosen in honor of Saint Anthony. By doing so, I hope to honor my people, my family and my ancestors that continue to guide me. These vessels are not only objects but vessels of memory, embodying the soil, stories, and spirit of Northeastern Brazil.