Nina Nunes
From her studio in Aveiro, Portugal, self-taught illustrator Nina Nunes creates work to evoke a sense of serenity in herself and the viewer.
“The driving force of my work is the longing for capturing and expressing my state of being at all times. Art, in general, and drawing, in particular, are the means to transform my internal joys and turmoil into meaningful pieces that represent these emotions. Bringing these pieces to life is a cathartic process, hence the name of my brand, “drawingcatharsis”. Stylistically, I like to draw cute representations of people, animals and objects. Drawing cute characters calms me down because doing so evokes feelings of nurture, safety and comfort.”
Nina is inspired by her family and local Portuguese creatives from a range of disciplines, including the poet Fernando Pessoa, singer/songwriter Carolina Deslandes and actress Dalila Carmo. The work of international artists also influences her, notably the K-Pop group Apink, illustrators Sara Faber and Catherine Kay (Katnipp Illustrations), and fictional characters, Katniss Everdeen and the Harry Potter universe.
In addition to her artistic pursuits, Nina holds a master’s
degree in Clinical and Health Psychology from the Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences of the University of Porto.