During my residency at Casa Na Ilha in Ilhabela, São Paulo Brazil, ( in August of 2025) I immersed myself in the island’s vibrant rhythms and serene landscapes. My days were spent wandering sunlit beaches, listening to the waves mingle with the hum of local life and hiking in jungles as well as steep neighborhood hills! Lots of exercise for sure. I connected with residents over shared meals and warm conversations while learning basic Portuguese phrases that deepened my appreciation for the culture and its people. The island’s lush scenery, shifting light, and the generosity and all around kindness of its people sparked a creative surge, which lead me to produce two artworks directly inspired by Ilhabela’s spirit: two pieces that carry the quiet and serene magic of the island.
Enjoying the scenery! I added this beautiful Prickly Pear cacti to one of the collage pieces I created during my stay. Photo credit: Artist Devon Downes.
“Gold Bamboos in Ilhabela” 12x20in mixed media collage 2025
This piece marks my very first completed collage, bringing together fragments of memory and discovery from my time in Brazil. At its heart is a rough representation of me that grounds the work, surrounded by layered imagery that ties to the island’s textures and stories. The Brazilian house represents both place and belonging, a symbol of the warmth and vibrancy I encountered throughout the entire neighborhood that I was staying in. The prickly cacti woven into the woman’s hair echo the unexpected beauty I found scattered across the island’s landscape. Perched above, the leopard (which is actually a cheetah) nods to an inside joke me and the other residents had. It was born from this idea of spotting one while we were on our long hikes (and catching us off-guard). Blending humor, imagination and fear of being somewhere we’ve never been. Together, these elements create a work that is both personal and rooted in place, an archive of experience transformed into art.
