BIOGRAPHY




Joana Rosa Bragança is a multidisciplinary artist and freelance illustrator (since 2005) who has an unavoidable tendency to silently observe everyday life events and the living beings that surround her in order to transform them into drawings and mix them with her colorful, whimsical fantasies. In her craft, imagination and reality become dangerously close.

She was born at 'The End Of The World', the most south-westerly point of Europe, Sagres, in the year of 1986. It was once believed that beyond those cliffs, the immensity of the sea was hiding unknown and dangerous worlds inhabited by the strangest creatures ever, for her they weren’t cruel or bad, just weird friends popping around in her imaginary world. Rosa currently lives in Olhão, a fishing village in the south of Portugal, populated by even more stranger creatures with an amazing sense of street fashion, like strong Fishermen with their tiny dogs and peculiar tourists, a place full of legends, myths and childhood memories that sparkle her creativity when she’s at her sunroom full of friendly plants, or in GamaRama Studio in Faro.

Recently, Rosa has been exploring ceramics and animation with great enthusiasm. Maré (Tide) is the name of her first animated short-film, which received the award for Best Animation at Festival Caminhos do Cinema Português 2020, and was selected for numerous festivals around the world, traveling even more than herself.

She’s often working on personal projects, mostly with watercolors, Chinese ink, paper cut and manual printing, but also looking for partnerships in projects like picture books, posters, magazines, labels and all sorts of interesting goods, where she also uses digital tools.



Awards & Recognition



Best Animation Award — Caminhos do Cinema Português 2020, Coimbra — Maré (short film)

Honorable Mention — 3x3 Professional Show No.16 (2019) — Vovó (Packaging)

ILUSTRARTE 2018 — Selected work: Vinci, the Flying Cat (unpublished book illustrations)

Merit — 3x3 Professional Show No.14 (2017) — February: Dreaming About Spring (Calendars)

Honorable Mention — 3x3 Professional Show No.14 (2017) — On the eve of never leaving (Self-Promotion)

Honorable Mention — 3x3 Professional Show No.14 (2017) — Don't Look Them in the Eyes (Self-Promotion)

Merit — 3x3 Professional Show No.13 (2016) — Vinci, the flying cat (Books, unpublished)

Honorable Mention — 3x3 Professional Show No.13 (2016) — Chronomatopoeia (Self-Promotion)

Honorable Mention — Art Books Wanted, 2013 // Edition Lidu — PLIM (artist book, not published)

Honorable Mention — 18ª Galeria Aberta, 2013



Select Collective Exhibitions



Surroundings // Risograph exhibition — Corrente Arroios, Lisboa (2020) & Gama Rama (2021)

PIM! Mostra de ilustração — FOLIO: Festival Literário Internacional de Óbidos (2019)

Ilustração Portuguesa'19 — Lapso Galeria, Setúbal (2019)

ILUSTRA 33 — Lisboa (2019)

Prata da Casa — Festival do Clube de Criativos de Portugal, Jardim Botto Machado, Lisboa (2019)

MOTIM: Movimento de Ilustração Portuguesa — Museo de Pontevedra, Spain (2019)

A Noiva: Uma história gráfica-comestível sobre a amêndoa no Algarve — MAPA DesignGallery, Portimão (2019)

Milagro — Ó! Galeria, Porto/Lisboa (2018)

Jungle Fever — Ó! Galeria, Porto/Lisboa (2018)

Ilustração Portuguesa'18 — Cais 3, Porto de Setúbal (2018)

ILUSTRARTE'18 — Centro de Cultura Contemporânea de Castelo Branco, Portugal (2018)

GENDER|BENDER — Ó! Galeria, Porto/Lisboa (2017)

MIDNIGHT: Dreams and the Subconscious — Light Grey Art Lab, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA (2016) II

Pessoa Unveiled — Walnut Contemporary, Toronto, Canadá (2016)

ILUSTRA 33 — Convento da Trindade, Lisboa (2016)

BOTANICA: Jewels of the Earth — Light Grey Art Lab, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA (2016)

Bottled Up Feelings — Galeria CIRCUS, Porto (2015)

Exposição colectiva de ilustração // Festival Push — Maria Porto, Porto (2014)

História Ilustrada da Minha Cidade — Centro de Artes e Oficios Casa da Senhora Aninhas, Guimarães (2014)

18ª Galeria Aberta — Galeria dos Escudeiros, Beja (2013)

Art Books Wanted, International Award Exhibition — Designblok // Openstudio Kafka's house, Prague (2013)

SMART: an exhibition of wit, ingenuity and guile — Light Grey Art Lab, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA (2013)

Geografias de água e outros sonhos — Palácio da Galeria / Museu Municipal de Tavira (2013)

O Museu Ilustrado — Museu da Marioneta, Lisboa (2011)

Impressões e detalhes — Museu de História Natural, Lisboa (2011)

Circo senza animali — Centro Comunale d’Arte e Cultura EXMA’, Cagliari, Italy (2011)

ÅBROÏDERIJ! HA! // International Graphic Arts Exhibition Tour — Bedeteca de Lisboa, Casa da Animação, Maus Hábitos (Porto), Biblioteca de Abrantes, Festival Outfest (Barreiro), Bedeteca de Beja, Trem Azul (Lisboa) (2008-2010)

V Évora Printmaking Bienal Internacional Exhibition – Palácio do Vimioso, Évora (2007)

Tropa Macaca — Bedeteca de Lisboa, Lisboa (2007)

XII Bienal Internacional de Vila Nova de Cerveira (2005)



Solo Exhibitions



Banhistas — Pinta Roxa, Olhão (2023)

Fora da Órbita: Onde se Escondem os Pássaros? — Gama Rama, Faro (2023)

Perinhos de Monchique — Pinta Roxa, Olhão (2023)

Monocromos // De Trazer Por Casa — Ó! Galeria, Porto (2017)

Secos & Molhados — Galeria Trema Arte Contemporânea, Lisbon (2012)

Aguarelas e Esculturas Macias — Avesso, Esposende (2012)

Bichos Carpinteiros — Galeria Trema Arte Contemporânea, Lisbon (2010); Museu Municipal de Estremoz Prof. Joaquim Vermelho, Estremoz (2009); Centro Cultural de Cascais (2009)



Short Films



MARÉ — produced by Animanostra (2019)

Awards: Prémio Sophia for best animation short (2020)


Festival selections: GREEN VISION - International Environmental Film Festival (Russia, India); Olympia International Film Festival for Children and Young People (Greece); GOLDEN KUKER SOFIA - International Animation Film Festival (Bulgaria); FESTIVAL VIDEOBABEL (Peru); ANIMOCJE - International Animated Film Festival (Poland); Plein la Bobine Festival (France); Cartoon Club – International Festival of Animation Cinema, Comics and Games (Italy); Prémios Sophia (Portugal); FESTIVAL DE CINE Y TELEVISIÓN REINO DE LEÓN (Spain); Supertoon International Animation Festival (Croatia); PLAY - Festival Internacional de Cinema Infantil e Juvenil de Lisboa 2020 (Portugal); MONSTRA ― Festival de Animação de Lisboa (Portugal); New Directors Festival/NFF (Portugal); OLHO Animation Film Festival (Portugal); Inicio43 - Festival Internacional de Cine Independente de Elche (Spain); Festival de Cine Infancia e Adolescência (Colombia); Turku Animated Film Festival - TAFF (Finland); MADRIFF - MADRID INDIE FILM FESTIVAL (Spain); Cerdanya Filme Festival (Spain); Regio Film Festival (Italy); IMAGINARIA - Festival Internacional de Filme de Animação (Italy); FESTA DEL CINEMA DI MARE (Italy); INDIE FOR YOU FILM FESTIVAL (USA); FESTIVAL EUROPÉEN DU FILM COURT DE BREST (France); ZINETXIKI ZINEMALDIA (Spain); Caminhos Film Festival (Portugal); 3 in 1 Film Festival (Portugal); Bizarrya Short Film Festival (Portugal); VILLAMMARE FILM FESTIVAL (Italy); PARANÁ INTERNACIONAL FILMS FESTIVAL (Argentina); KRALJEVSKI FILMSKI FESTIVA (Serbia); 43rd Outdoor Short Film Festival of Grenoble (Switzerland); KINÉ MUESTRA INTERNACIONAL DE CORTOMETRAJES (Mexico); KURSAAL FILM FESTIVAL KFFSS (Spain); Canlandıranlar Film Festival (Turkey); FESTIVAL INTERNACIONAL PARA CRIANÇAS E ADOLESCENTES KOLIBRI (Bolivia); CIDADE DA CONSUEGRA FESTIVAL DE CURTA CINEMA (Spain); 18th International Animation Film Festival Tindirindis 2020 (Lithuania); IndieJúnior Allianz International Children’s and Youth Film Festival of Porto (Portugal); FIBABC - FESTIVAL IBEROAMERICANO DE CORTOMETRAJES ABC.ES (Spain); The Montreal International Children’s Film Festival - FIFEM (Canada); CHILDREN’S SHORT FILM FESTIVAL (UK); FESTIMATGE - FESTIVAL DE LA IMATGE DE CALELLA (Spain); SANTIAGO DEL ESPERO FILM FESTIVAL (Argentina); Mostra do Cinema Português (Portugal); International Nature Film Festival (Hungary); Aspen Shortsfest (USA); DIVERCINE - Festival Internacional de Cine para Niños y Jovenes (Uruguay); Faten Hamama film festival 2020 FHFF (Egypt); CARTOONS ON THE BAY (Italy); WICA LOS ANGELES (USA)



Books & Zines



Agenda Solidária 2020 — IPO de Lisboa / Livros Horizonte (2019)

GOOD GOOD GOOD 3 — fanzine / O Panda Gordo (2017)

Here Kitty Kitty — (various artists) curated by Mallory McInnis / Chronicle Books (2015)

Ça C'est Ma Rivière — written by Fernando Cabrita / CanalSonora (2015)

Seaside Bathers — Edition Lidu (2014)

My Hair — fanzine, Paiorfa Editorial (2013)

The Morran Book Project — (various artists) Studio Morran (2011)

O pequeno Super-Homem — written by Teresa Saavedra / Letras & Coisas (2011)

PLIM — artist book, not published (2011)

Chili Beam — fanzine (various artists) / Chili Com Carne (2010)

No reino do rei Rufino — written by Ana Beatriz Afonso / Soregra Editores (2009)

Cabeça de Ferro — (various artists) Imprensa Canalha (2008)



Other



Vovó special edition II — Retrosaria's (Rosa Pomar) exclusive yarn // Label artwork and design (2024)

Planeta R — illustrations for a performance produced by ArQuente Association (2022)

Serões da Primavera '22 — music festival poster and outdoor (2022)

Provérbios de Papel — illustration for a postcard // collection by Beija-Flor (2020)

Patrulha do Purgatório — music album // CD cover artwork (2019)

Moçoilas — concert posters & promotion // illustrations and design (2019)

Vovó special edition — Retrosaria's (Rosa Pomar) exclusive yarn // Label artwork and design (2019)

Beija-Flor 2019 calendar — Artwork for April, August and December (2018)

Vovó — Retrosaria's (Rosa Pomar) exclusive yarn // Label artwork and design (2018)

Chapéu // M2 — artwork for notebook cover and 2017 calendar (2016)

Beija-Flor 2017 calendar — Artwork for February (2016)

Canastra's serving wooden boards — Label artwork (2016)

Alfeire — Retrosaria's (Rosa Pomar) exclusive yarn // Label artwork and design (2015)

Merry Christmas: Algarve Artists in aid of charity // music album — CD artwork and design (2014)

João — Retrosaria's (Rosa Pomar) exclusive yarn // Label artwork and design (2014)

Kids Room Zoom — graphic layout for Unduetrestella Gallery used at Pitti Bimbo Fair (Florence) and Design Week (Milan) (2013)

O Fado — Diário de Notícias music album collection // cover art of CD nº 18 (2012)

Não Me Importava Morrer Se Houvesse Guitarras No Céu — documentary film by Tiago Pereira / art for poster, postcards, DVD cover and generics/credits (2012)

Music Box Lisboa — flyer cover, January issue (2009)



Education



Personal Cosmos — online course with Cristóbal Schmal (2022)

Picturecamp — online masterclass with Beatrice Alemagna, Jim Field, Carson Elis, Alexis Deacon and Christian Inaraja (2020)

Light Grey Art Camp international — Iceland (2020)

Light Grey Art Camp international — Greece: Mythology & Sacred Sites (2019)

Screen Printing — workshop with António Miguel Coelho (Mike Goes West) // Oficina do Cego (2012)

MFA Artistic Illustration — (first year) University of Évora / ISEC (2011)

Illustration for Children — workshop with Pierre Pratt // Ar.Co (2008)

BFA Fine Arts, Painting — University of Évora (2008)

Artist's Books — workshop with Ana Romana // University of Évora (2006)



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© Joana Rosa Bragança 2024