ONLINE GALLERY
(Please note all images are shown in square format. Therefore some areas of the artwork have been cropped.)

"Art has been a part of my life since my earliest memories. It's my legacy from my deeply artistic family of painters, ceramists, musicians, and writers.

My artistic journey is a tapestry woven from the threads of my multicultural background. It begins in West Africa, in Angola, a former Portuguese colony where I was born and spent my early years. The war of independence compelled my family, already in our fourth generation, to relocate to Portugal. There, my mother, a painter and my first mentor found solace in perpetuating her African memories through her art. The vibrant colours, rhythmic patterns, and rich storytelling that permeate my work are a testament to this multicultural journey, a thread that connects me to my past and shapes my present.

It was as if my family painted my childhood with a vibrant colour palette of African tones. The deep orange sunsets, the lively pink flamingos in my birthplace, the magenta of the bougainvillaea, and my grandparents' tales of the jungle were all burnt into my imagination. These memories, filled with vibrant colours and rich storytelling, became essential to who I am as an artist, shaping my artistic style and the themes I explore in my work.

It was this inspiration which eventually propelled my artistic career a few years ago at a point when I was struggling with depression after losing my younger sister to cancer and feeling I was still not fulfilling my life purpose.

I remember attending a masterclass by the Royal Academy artist David Mach and feeling excited about how I started perceiving analogue collage and mixed media in a completely unexpected way. This was a seminal session, which really opened up new possibilities for me in my art. I learned to see the beauty in imperfections, to embrace the unexpected, and to let go of control. This cathartic shift in perspective not only transformed my art but also my life. I have never stopped creating since I kept experimenting and pushing the boundaries of my creativity.

At the time, my lovely friend Jo Good, the BBC radio host, showed my work to her fans worldwide on her amazing vlog. This viral moment started a surreal journey of networking in the art world, exhibiting in London, Europe, the US, and Canada, and being featured in art, design, lifestyle magazines, radio, and TV shows. It was life-changing!

Over the years, it has evolved to reflect my artistic purpose and the inspiration I draw from my surroundings and my inner journey. It represents my reflection on life, epiphanies, insights, acceptance of darkness, search for light and bliss, and aspirations.
I want to inspire others to undertake their ever-evolving inner journey, always reinviting themselves and discovering their true identity and essence.
I aim to invite viewers to contemplate and encourage them to embrace their unique perspectives as a sense of connection to something greater than oneself. Each piece is a reminder that, despite the chaos and uncertainty of life, there is beauty to be found in every moment and that the journey of self-discovery is one of healing and growth.

My work has, thus, always been a joyous exploration of new ways to express myself. This innate curiosity and desire to push beyond my comfort zone have led me to collaborate with other creators, opening up new avenues of creativity. This constant evolution and experimentation keep my art alive and vibrant, and I hope it inspires you as much as it does me."

How would you describe your work to someone seeing it for the first time?

My collages are conceived to capture inner beauty and inspire viewers to search for deeper meaning. I use a minimalist analogue approach to create my pieces, allowing me to simultaneously create simple and complex works. 

I am passionate about creating thematic series, always using a vibrant colour palette. My admiration for the feminine figure brings these series together, representing strength, resilience, and beauty. In an autobiographical approach, it symbolizes my search to find my identity and recreate myself in troubled times.

As to the wild nature motifs that I incorporate into my pieces, they serve as a metaphor for the untamed aspects of our own nature, reminding us of the importance of reconnecting with our true selves. My works express, thus, contemplation and a return to memories of more serene times as the start of a self-healing journey. It starts with my love of mixing various media, such as oil sticks and acrylics on paper and canvas, combining them with analogue collage.

The originals I exhibit and sell to my art collectors are analogue collages of fine art Giclée or Somerset Velvet paper. I achieve the lush texture by mixing different mediums such as oil bars, acrylics, pigment ink, gold leaf, and resin on gesso-primed canvas. I also love the contrast created by the restored antique frames used on my bold pieces. This unique combination of mediums and techniques allows me to create works that are both visually striking and conceptually rich.

As I cherish exploring new techniques and materials on my originals, I'm working on a new collection with distinctive features. This collection will not only embody the vibrant colours and rich storytelling that are my signature but will also incorporate innovative materials and techniques, pushing the boundaries of my artistic identity and offering a fresh and unique perspective.
As mentioned, my collaboration with other creatives is bringing my concept to life in extraordinary ways, and I am exploring new mediums and artistic expressions, such as Art Wear, Interior Design and collaborations in the Film and Media Industries.

What and which artists have influenced your work?

New York Golden Age/early Pop Art artists like Andy Warhol, the Young Artists Movement, British Pop Art like Peter Blake, and photographers like Cecil Beaton (fashion) and Frans Lanting (National Geographic) are essential references for my work.

If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would you select and why?

I would definitely work with Peter Blake. Blake is a leading figure in the pop art movement, and his most joyful and inventive work conveys a message of optimism and cheerfulness to overcome hard times.

He has been creating paintings, collages, and prints that blend modernity and nostalgia throughout his long artistic career, which inspires my work. I am confident that I can learn immensely from the diversity of his techniques and mediums and his life-long love for art.

I deeply admire his late period and the fact that he continues creating, no longer interested in the art world's opinion of his work, instead creating what he wants, being utterly genuine, regardless of its relation to his previous paintings and formed identity, His freedom of choice and creativity in his late compositions inspire me to be authentic, breaking the rules and following my inspiration, sharing a message of blissfulness with the world.

What can we expect to see from you in the future?

Regarding my new representation in Portugal by the Marchand-Mercier Pedro Jaime Vasconcelos, we are preparing next year's exhibition schedule and exciting art, interior design, and film collaborative projects in London.

Meanwhile, Pedro Jaime Vasconcelos will curate my solo exhibition, "Diaz in Lisbon," which is included in the Series Identity at the trendy Art Gallery Coletivo 284 in Lisbon. The Private View will be held on November 6th. The exhibition will be on until November 24th and include several art and fashion events in collaboration with the Art Wear brand Empório Aragão, in coordination with the launch of our collection at the Brooklin Fashion Week in Japan. 

MY TOP 5 ARTWORKS

1 - Coral

2 - I see

3 - Life.Illuminated

4 - Faith

5 - Quintessence