Ana Nobre was born in Lisbon in 1979. She graduated in Fine Arts from ESAD (Escola Superior Artes e Design), Caldas da Rainha in 2005, and studied Graphic Design at ETIC (Escola de Tecnologias, Inovação e Criação do Algarve) in 2018.
Seven years ago, she moved to Lagoa, since then, she has been developing several artistic projects. From street art to canvas painting, teaching, and exhibiting, Ana stretches her creativity across many angles of the art world.
Her work conveys her desire to communicate. Her goal is to capture emotion rather than reason. Lines and shapes are the language she uses to express herself. Her inspiration is simple: Life.
She believes the necessity to communicate on a creative level has always been present in her life, in her essence. Drawing, painting, writing, and sculpting are some of the tools she uses to reach out. She uses different mediums, according to her mood, but mostly she uses acrylic paints.
Ana applies her creativity across a diverse range of materials: canvas, wood, bare walls, electricity boxes, fabrics. Everywhere her imagination takes her, she follows.
She confesses that when she is creating something new, it’s as if she doesn’t have any control over the process. Her hand leads the way! Every piece, canvas, wall, or blank page magically comes to life. The colours and textures appear as if her reason played no part in the creation!
Some of her works can take merely an hour; others can take days or weeks until they are finished. She describes knowing when a piece is completed as more like a feeling, a sense of fulfilment.
Ana says that her goal is to open a door, like a gate to a different realm. The realm of imagination, where dreams and hopes are free.
She shares a funny story of how some of her new ideas came to life. She describes herself as an artist who can’t focus on anything else while she is in the midst of creating something new. The result of this is that she has a big problem keeping her clothes clean from paint, so, basically, every piece of clothing that she wears is a mess. And from this came the idea of upcycling her clothes or those donated by friends and family. So, a new line of her work was born—a new concept, a new business: upcycled clothes.
Her favourite work is always the last one she has completed, so, for now, her focus is on upcycling clothes and other pieces for home decor. Her new project is entitled @ARTESANANOBRE: Upcycled garments with original hand-painted designs by Ana Nobre.
“The idea is to jazz up your wardrobe by having a hand-painted design of your choice on any item of clothing, hats or shoes! Commissions are also undertaken!” she explains.
Ana is also dedicated to street art. She is currently working on a project in conjunction with the Junta de Freguesia de Porches, where she is decorating the streets by painting their electricity boxes and walls.
Ana states that being an artist is not an easy way of living. It’s a day-by-day challenge, having to survive and pay the bills like everyone else, not knowing if tomorrow is going to bring more work or not. But when you love what you do, when creativity is as important as the air you breathe, she believes you don’t have a choice.
In August 2022, she is going to Amsterdam to participate in an Art Fair, and in April 2024, she will have a solo exhibition in the ARTIFACT Gallery in Manhattan.
This year she achieved her dream of opening a small art studio in Porches, where anyone can visit by appointment. Her work is her own expression of the way she feels and sees the world, but she also does commissions. So anyone can choose a theme and she will paint it on canvas or on walls for them.
Since she moved to the Algarve, Ana has felt that she can finally dedicate her life to her passion: Art.
As she says, “There’s nothing I want to be than what I am, right here, right now!”
You can book a visit to Ana’s gallery
