BIOGRAPHY
I am a Brazilian artist and designer based in Berlin, working under the name Midnight Castanhas. Born and raised in Brazil, I have been drawn to art since childhood. Although I hold a degree in Design and a postgraduate qualification in Analytical Psychology, my painting practice has been shaped primarily by observation, experimentation, and making. I believe that art is learned by creating, and each painting has become part of that ongoing education.
Living between Brazil and Germany has profoundly influenced my artistic voice. My work explores migration, memory, belonging, ancestry, and transformation through a symbolic visual language inspired by Afro-Brazilian spiritual traditions, Indigenous Brazilian cosmologies, dreams, and archetypal psychology.
Over time, my paintings have evolved from a monochromatic world into a palette of terracotta, ochres, dusty rose, and deep browns, colors that carry the warmth and texture of the land where I grew up. I seek to create images that exist between the conscious and the unconscious, inviting viewers to reconnect with forgotten memories, emotions, and inner landscapes.
For me, painting is both an intuitive and reflective process – a way of understanding myself and the world around me. Together with poetry, it has become my language for transforming personal and collective experiences into symbolic narratives that invite contemplation, connection, and imagination.
CV
I began my artistic practice in 2025, and in the same year I was invited to exhibit at the Venice Art Fair (Italy), where I presented my painting The Twins. Alongside my art practice, I have an established career in design, recognized with international awards including Cannes Lions and Latin American design awards.
STATEMENT
Art has been part of my life for as long as I can remember. Since childhood, I have been drawn to images, colors, symbols, and the stories they carry. My artistic practice has grown through observation, experimentation, and the simple act of making.
My practice is rooted in the encounter between memory, ancestry, and the unconscious. Born and raised in the Northeast of Brazil and now living in Berlin, I navigate the space between two worlds: the warmth, spirituality, and landscapes of my homeland, and the quiet, introspective atmosphere of my adopted city. This experience of displacement has become a source of reflection, shaping my exploration of identity, belonging, and transformation.
Afro-Brazilian traditions, Indigenous Brazilian cosmologies, and Jungian ideas of archetypes and the collective unconscious influence my paintings. I am interested in the symbols that emerge from within us – the images, dreams, and emotions that connect personal experiences with broader human narratives.
My work began through a predominantly black-and-white visual language, reflecting a period of deep introspection. Over time, color entered my paintings as a reconnection with my origins: the terracotta soil, the intense sunlight, and the earthy tones of my homeland. These colors became a way of returning to my roots and embracing a more expansive understanding of myself.
