Inês Almeida Matos, Lisbon, Portugal, Fall 2024
Artist Bio: My name is Inês Almeida Matos – Out IAM – I am an illustrator and street artist. My work is guided by human behaviour and its idiosyncrasies, in compositions with elements of nature, in a surreal and provocative way. I’ve always used drawing as the foundation of my work, whether for costume or theatre set design, but it was only in 2017 that I made illustration my primary focus and brought my work to the streets through paste-up. Since then I have been developing two main themes/personas, which ended up coming together in this exploration. They are “Mulheres que Não Cabem” - "Women Who Do Not Fit" and the Judgy Eye - and I’m spreading them around the world.
Artist Statement: Last time we painted for You Are Not Alone Murals, I talked a lot about feeling lonely on a daily basis, how that affects me and how I work hard to find a balance - I still feel this - but now I wanted to focus more in the power of community to fight loneliness or any other struggle. It's amazing how people approach us while painting and the experiences we share during these days.
I truly believe that personal connection makes all the difference.