Bio
Luísa Leão (Brasília, 1998) is a textile artist, designer and PhD student in Media Arts at the University of Beira Interior (UBI). She is currently a resident artist at Galeria GamaRama, in Faro, and has funding from the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT) for her scientific research. With a bachelor's and master's degree in Fashion Design, Luísa began her creative journey in textile practices, having delved into embroidery illustration during her time in Milan (2018-2019). Since childhood, she has played with creative sewing and collage, experiences that echo today in her experimental and interdisciplinary approach. During the pandemic, she set up a digital atelier on Instagram, where she produced pieces to order. However, the need to align herself with external demands led her to shift her focus exclusively to creating her own work. This move has allowed her artistic expression to expand since 2022, when she began participating in group exhibitions.
Statement
Exploring temporality, feminism, territoriality, sustainability and decoloniality, my artistic research challenges traditional canons. Having lived in Covilhã - Portugal's City of Wool - for eight years, I developed a deep connection with its rich textile heritage. During a creative break (2023-2024), I immersed myself in the local communities, where I learned various textile techniques and deepened my relationship with merino wool. Reliving the sewing and collage of childhood, I mix ancestral and contemporary influences to create abstract and tactile compositions in which textiles and reused materials merge with gestures, textures and narratives.
