"As Bravas" - Photography Exhibition by Paulo Pimenta

"To be Brave is to stand firm in what you're doing, in what you're saying, and in who you want to be."

In the Marão mountains, we (re)encounter our ancestors—women who fight and resist.
They whisper silenced memories and sing to ward off the loneliness of the days.
Barefoot guardians, keepers of memories from harsh times, of stories and songs from the past—but with the future in their eyes.

The mantle that wraps around them is sewn from living scraps of the paths that shape the daily lives and wisdom of these Bravas—archetypes of nature in its most beautiful and raw form.

This new Enxoval was created by many hands, from different generations, from countryside and city, between Porto and Amarante.
Within it, memories, objects, and voices intertwine, finding a new time and space for resistance—among lullabies and songs of struggle.

Artistic and Technical Credits

Collective Creation
“As Bravas”: Alice Gomes, Ana Miranda, Angelina Leite, António Lopes, Emília Ferreira, Fátima Machado, Maria da Assunção Mendes, Maria do Carmo Ribeiro, Maria da Glória Ribeiro, Maria da Graça Mendes, Maria das Dores Teixeira, Maria de Fátima Azevedo, Maria Ribeiro

Artistic Direction
Inês Lapa, Maria João Mota, Paulo Pimenta

Photography
Paulo Pimenta

Photo Post-production
Mario O Santos

Art Direction and Set Design
Sandra Neves

Art Direction Assistant
Rita Cantante

Sound Compositions
Inês Lapa

Sound Mixing
Ricardo Carvalho

Video
Alexandra Côrte-Real

Technical Support
Ruca Bourbon

Production Direction
Carina Moutinho

Executive Production
Beatriz Brás

Funding
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation / PARTIS – Artistic Practices for Social Inclusion

Support
Municipality of Amarante and CLAP – Local Center for Rural Promotion and Animation