Meet our artists.
Cecilia Thibes
Cecilia Thibes was born in Parana, South of Brazil. In 1986, the artist chose to study Anthroposophy at the Studiumjahr Goetheanum Institute, in Switzerland, which would impact and influence her career for many years into the future. After living for a time in Europe, Thibes went back to Brazil and participated in two advanced training programs within the Athroposophical Artistic field. Her training includes the Program at Paulus Center and Painting, Drawing and Composition, at the Art Center in São Paulo. Because of all her deep life experiences, her atelier has been an active space for work as an Art Therapist, Art Teacher and Painter.
Monica Mendes
Monica Mendes was born and raised in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations. Monica endeavored to immerse herself in art, enrolling in an art history program for docent guides at the Lowe Museum at the University of Miami. In 2009, she followed this long-time passion by opening her own art studio. Her commitment drove her to obtain her Master’s degree of Fine Arts in Painting, in 2016 from Academy of Art University in San Francisco. She has had four solo exhibitions, Expression of My People in 2015 at the Museum Inima de Paula and at Ponteio Gallery, Belo Horizonte, Brazil; and Self-Identity in 2016 at Duo Art Gallery, Miami, Florida, USA; "Favelas" at Gilda Queirós Gallery and "Catope", O Som das Cores, a 3D exhibition curated by Heloisa Azevedo. Monica has also participated in group exhibitions such as the ArtBrasil at ArtServe in Fort Lauderdale and Miami River Gallery during the Art Basel week.
Fernanda Dabus
Art has been part of Fernanda’s life in many ways. In the early years, Art was present in the form of music and dance and later on as a means of exploration while studying Psychology and Psychoanalysis. Attending college in a city far from home, seeking a graduate degree in another, entering marriage, moving abroad, living in different cities like Chicago, Saint Louis, Boston and Miami, and finally and essentially, having lived three times the “Art” of motherhood… are for her, all forms of dancing according to the music, creating experiences, and new contexts, like making Art of life’s varied colors. Through feeling the energy and vibration of colors and textures, she dove deeper into her consciousness and began expressing her emotions through her brushstrokes and canvases.
Make it stand out.
Karla Calassa.
Brazilian born visual artist and photographer, Karla Calassa has spent much of her life in the rich “cerrado” of her native state Goias. Like many artists, Calassa brings into her work the influence of what the soul has witnessed, and in this case reflected into a tropical palette.In 2001 in a life changing decision, Karla moved to Miami, starting a new journey and adding to her art a cultural pluralism that expanded into new techniques and textures, creating new territories on canvas.
A self-taught passionate artist, her curiosity for n e w materials and penchant for experimenting with pigments, led Calassa into exploring new grounds, breaking free from the initial oil and acrylic on canvas mode. The artist’s creative process is made of transforming the real into imaginary, creating abstracts that consist of a well-balanced surface of colors and traces, often adding texture, without abandoning the formal concern with the creation process. Some of her work brings noticeable perception of life reflecting at the same time, and intertwined, a softness and euphoric touch. In some of Calassa’s series one will find subtle reflections of the artist’s intimate feelings and deep spirituality, a trait that has brought her to express her love of nature and gratitude to the universe in different series and phases of her career, an instrumental characteristic in reflecting her moment and opening several doors for interpretation on her current work.
Thais J. Hollanda.
Thais J. Hollanda is a Brazilian visual artist, focusing on abstract modern art. She was initially drawn to the field while living in Paris as a youth. During her frequent travels throughout Europe, she was enamored by all the beautiful works of art, from paintings at the Louvre to monuments on the street. When she returned to Brazil, she tried her hand at classic art, but—while she had admired the beauty of the form—it did not give her the expressive outlet she had been hoping for. It was only years later, after discovering the works of Jackson Pollock, that she decided to take a stab at modern art... and promptly fell in love.
Today, she takes inspiration from her quotidian experiences of family-life in the midst of a global pandemic. Her use of color is inherently symbolic, always a constant in the chaos of spontaneity, just as her family has become her steadying rock during trying times. Hollanda’s paintings are refreshingly unique, blossoming from inklings to fully-fledged artworks, shaped impulsively yet tenderly through each step of her creative process.
Daniela Bercovitch.
Born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Daniela is a sociologist and has worked for more than 20 years for the United Nations and other international organizations. This gave her the opportunity to travel to countries such as Nicaragua, Guyana, Colombia, Peru, Haiti, Bosnia Herzegovina and The Netherlands.
During all this traveling, she fell in love with the variety of human faces and colors she encountered and was able to photograph subjects that serve as inspiration to her portraits. Specialized in Pastel and Watercolor, Daniela has studied Fine Arts at Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and has attended classes at Parque Lage Visual Arts School.