ABOUT
me
Qualified Portrait and Fine Art photographer born in the Northeast of Brazil, but I left Brazil a more than twelve years ago. Currently I live in China. I am a daughter, wife, mother, aunt, friend ... the list is extensive. This girl has also stepped into many countries in this World. She carries within her a little bit of each experience lived in those places where she went and strongly believes that it reflects a lot in her photographic style. In general, an ever-changing being.
I am
Mona Lisa
When I took a trip down on memory lane to understand my journey and love for photography. I came to realize that photography is really an old love. I remember in my teenage years I spent hours making self-portraits with the webcam that my mother had bought together with our first computer. And at that same time, I used to go to sleepovers with friends who had a camera and enjoyed photography as much as I do, and we spent the night awake taking photos and finished with very basic editing on Photoshop. In fact, that was my first contact with the software. A little later, using my mother's unprofessional camera, I photographed a friend's wedding, and the photos were my wedding gift. A great responsibility to have been the one capturing that day. My photos were the only ones she of her special day today, after all, smartphones were not “the thing” at that time. My first camera, I got in 2011, the Panasonic Lumix G1, was a Christmas gift from my husband. And today I’m “Canon Photographer”.
I never imagined leaving Brazil, it had never crossed my mind. Neither was a viable dream studying abroad, let alone studying exactly what I always loved doing. But here I am after have accomplished it all. In 2013, my husband and I embarked on a new adventure, after almost two years residing in Germany, there was I again, packing my bags to live in another country, the country of the time was, South Africa. Where I studied Photography for 4 years. My first graduation took place in 2017, being the only one in the class graduating cum laude in National Photography Diploma, and in 2018 I finished my studies graduating cum laude again in, Bachelor of Technology of Photography - by Nelson Mandela University.
During my postgrad studies, I joined the photography team of Jornal da Faculdade, Madibaz News. Had some of my work featured on two of the virtual and printed publications of that year, and also had the great honor to volunteer as a facilitator of the Photography Workshop part of the Holiday Career Program brought by Ubuntu Pathways Institution, for underprivileged teenagers of the area. That same year I won the Photographer of the Year award by Madibaz News. And ended that year passing my Btech with distinction in three of my four subjects. It goes without saying that 2017 was an incredibly awesome year!
April 2018 after the graduation ceremony, I was back in Germany, and photography the thing that played the role of protagonist for years in my life took a back seat, making way for Monalisa the mother and the woman adjusting to life in Europe. Without many contacts and consequently, without enough exposure for my work to be seen. I believe it was a crucial time, for which I am very grateful. Now I feel prepared to make my career take off, and with a focus on Brazilian clients, because I know that feeling comfortable in front of the camera will result in incredible photos representing the best version of my subject.
IN 2021, MY PASSION FOR PHOTOGRAPHY BECOMES A PROFESSION IN GERMANY.
A DREAM THAT FINALLY BECOMES REALITY.
Exhibitons
2015
Annual Eastern Cape Landscape Exhibition
NMMU North Campus - Art Department
Richmond Hill Music Festival Exhibition
Alliance Française
2016
Annual Eastern Cape Landscape Exhibition
NMMU North Campus - Art Department
2017
Experimental Portraiture
NMMU North Campus - Art Department
Annual Eastern Cape Landscape Exhibition
NMMU North Campus - Art Department
Alliance Française Street Music Festival Exhibition
Alliance Française Gallery
Bachelor of Visual Arts Student Exhibition
Publications
2016
NMU Yearly Diary
2017
We are a family owned and operated business.
July - Madibaz News
We are a family owned and operated business.
August - Madibaz News
We are a family owned and operated business.
We are a family owned and operated business.
Awards
2017
Photographer of the Year - Madibaz News (Nelson Mandela University Newspaper) Award