Retratos Relatos: Glass Cube Gallery, CEFET - RJ

The series "Retratos Relatos" (HerStory) by Panmela Castro began in 2019, based on the many messages and testimonies the artist received from dozens of women from all over Brazil. They were stories from women who trusted her with their stories, situations of violence, cases of abuse, racism, institutional violence, the costs of motherhood, ageism, fatphobia, transphobia, homophobia, but above all many stories of overcoming. As an artist, internationally recognized for her activism to end violence against women and promote the Maria da Penha Law, Panmela decided to address all these stories and pains through her art.

For the artist, the series is about pain. The people who tell their stories take that pain and do something with it. In this case, they are turning their stories into encouragement for other people, encouraging them to break away from violence and oppression in its various forms. Above all, they reinforce the importance of mobilization strategies to prevent and confront violence against women, a serious social problem in Brazil, where on average one woman is a victim of femicide every 7 hours.