Research Catalogue

Physical_Metamorphosis is an artistic research project that explores the body as both subject and space through drawing, photography, and image manipulation. Starting from the study of personal shadows and anatomical forms, the project evolves into an investigation of internal metamorphosis—where the body is reimagined as a layered, dynamic landscape. The artistic process and body of work presented here is divided into three main areas: Inside Metamorphosis, Outside Metamorphosis, and Body Shadows. Inside Metamorphosis explores the inner structures and depths of the human body through clinical imagery, such as gastroscopies and colonoscopies. Outside Metamorphosis, on the other hand, is a process of mechanizing chiaroscuro and the shadows of my own body—elements that are ultimately synthesized in the third and final part, Body Shadows. Body Shadows reflects my direct relationship with photography and highlights its fundamental role in both my artistic research and creative practice.

Surge como objeto tridimensional, como espaço reflexivo e relacionalinter-espécies. Um biombo, que pode nos servir como elemento de separação entre espaços, de privação; quer como um objeto que se articula no espaço, resultando em abrigo, em proteção de quem se encontra dentro, um espaço para meditar, para se co-conectar consigo mesmo, com o outro e com os cinco elementos. (Espaço em construção e exposição metodológica e processual)

Mapa de conteúdos

Thesis of the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague, 2023 BA Photography With the recent cultural emphasis on the pursuit of happiness, the expression of negative emotions seems to be neglected. The impact of not valuing and integrating emotions that can be viewed as negative can be detrimental to one’s well-being. There seems to be a widespread denial or suppression of such emotions that, eventually, can lead to problems such as self-esteem problems, depression, anxiety, etc. This has led to the urge to better understand what this observation is based on. How do you dress? What parts of your life do you share? What version of yourself do you show? Do you show the socially acceptable version or the raw and authentic version of yourself? There seems to be an unspoken rule that dictates how people should behave and portray themselves in front of others, showing only the positive aspects of their life. Taking this concept to a photographic level, I have encountered this scenario many times. You walk up to somebody and ask if you can take a picture of them. Their body tenses up, they rise tall and proud, and their smile stretches from ear to ear. They suddenly seem to be the happiest they have been all day, just for the picture. This is also the reality of social media. Once you open the app you are sucked into a wonderland. Posts and stories of people seemingly living their best lives, travelling, smiling, flexing, and comparing themselves to a #FAKEBODY. This makes me question what power photography holds in this day and age. In what ways could photography be used as a tool used to suppress our emotions instead of allowing us to express our true feelings? Through the use of chaptersation and personal stories, this thesis is presented by different emotions. By doing this, my aim is to create awareness and highlight the emphasis of emotions, making the reader question their own feelings and emotions, taking what resonates and helping them to tap into into their own body.

Thesis of the Royal Academy of Art The Hague 2023 BA fashion and textile Imelda Marcos was the First Lady of the Philippines for 20 years. She is an image of wealth (ill gotten) and the display of wealth. She is real and not real, her possession of wealth is real and not real. The image display of fake wealth by Imelda is not isolated, it is the humour of contemporary culture ‘fake it til you make it’. It is also fuelled by our daily life in the consumption of technology. Instead of criticising these behaviours of displaying fake wealth, we embody them somehow, it intrigues us to the extent of making films such as on Netflix ‘Inventing Anna’ and ‘Tinder Swindler’. ‘Generation fake wealth’ is a group of people whose goal is to portray having abundance in wealth despite their financial capacity. It is this extravagance in life that excites reality. This research will look into the diverse areas of thoughts and great people of our time. It will traverse to different ideologies such as: postmodernism, social capital, the search for beauty in this troubled times and political identity. They are important because they discuss the complex intertwining of realities, the reality itself and its possible multiple copies. The intangible commodity is the image; the image is a reflection of reality but not the absolute truth which we assume to be real. Social media is the main platform for portraying our alternative reality and its discrete influence

Thesis of the Royal Academy of Art, The Hague 2022 MA Artistic Research Writing introductions and quickly pitching my thesis must have become easier by now I suppose. I’ve talked about it so much these past months and to my surprise people get excited when I do. Somewhere along the fragmented lines of my communication I must do something good. I’ve caught myself often in that I keep saying the same thing. Which I suppose I will do again now when people ask me what it is about. It’s a multifocal piece, written my me and my friends, through conversations and interviews, in which we try to deconstruct our notions on intimacy. I guess it’s about (auto)cannibalism, sliminess, sex, love, anglerfish, grinder, bodies, sickness, healing and community too. The body as an archipelago and a guide to how to slowly consume oneself and the other.