In Portugal, there is an artist who does not separate artistic creation from listening to the world. Between brushstrokes and silences, Tita transforms discarded materials into profound visual expressions – works that converse with childhood, the environment, and the urgency to rethink what we call normal.

Known for the #zerowastetita project, the artist breathes new life into defective surfaces, forgotten objects, and imperfect materials. Her practice is visceral, emotional, and honest. She paints houses that evoke refuge, flowers that resist, cars that growl with memories, animals that gaze at us with depth, challenging our view of the world and our own humanity — and more recently, gummy bears that challenge the system.

The theme of the gummy bears comes as a critique of the educational system. These small, colorful bears, seemingly sweet and harmless, are actually a provocative artistic intervention. The artist has painted them in oil, watercolor, and also on a large-scale mural that brought the concept to the public space — and more gummys are on the way. Through this ever-growing body of work, she raises a troubling question: Do we need to give rewards to children to make them curious and creative? Shouldn’t that be their natural state?

The works with the gummy pattern represent the individuality of each child, offering a reflection on the need for personalized educational responses in a system that often tries to homogenize and standardize. The pieces question the way many schools sweeten the educational process, instead of creating environments where creativity can naturally thrive as an essential part of being human.

Her art does not end on the canvas. She is also an art teacher and an operational assistant for children with special educational needs. This daily relationship — built on listening, attention, and care — deeply influences the way she thinks and creates. She is also working with these young artists on “The Intruders” — an exhibition that challenges the boundaries of what is considered art, who can create it, and what is deemed “valid” in the art world.

Her vision is clear: art is not just what you see, but what you feel — and often, what you dare to ask. “I prefer the process to perfection, the mistake to the ego. Art, for me, is a form of survival.”

Tita does not paint to follow paths. She paints to open them.

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