Collection: Luísa Ramos Cruz

Luísa Maria Lopes Ramos Cruz was born in 1964 in Vale das Almas, a small parish in the municipality of Faro, where she spent her childhood accompanying her shellfish-gathering grandparents in the Ria Formosa Natural Park. Growing up with the smell of the sea air and the mysticism of the ocean imprinted on her memory, Luísa pursued her passion for art as a young girl. With an austere upbringing, she found solace in crafts, drawing, and painting, often occupying herself with these activities in lieu of socializing with other children her age.

Luísa went on to study Biophysics Engineering at the University of Évora, where she discovered drawing classes that laid the foundation for her lifelong love of painting. She now works as a senior technician in the Directorate of Environmental Services at CCDR Algarve (Commission for Coordination and Regional Development of the Algarve) and continues to pursue her passion for art in her free time.

Despite never having attended formal art classes, Luísa is a self-taught artist who experiments with a variety of mediums, including graphite, watercolor, acrylic, and oil. Her preferred mediums are oil painting and charcoal drawing, with the sea and the Ria Formosa serving as her primary themes in oil painting and the human figure, particularly the expressiveness of the eyes and hands, taking center stage in charcoal.

Luísa has yet to exhibit her works in galleries or shows, preferring to sell her pieces directly to friends, family, and visitors who come to her studio, which she affectionately calls "Hands to Art." She makes her debut at ART EXPO ALGARVE, where she receives praise for her understated style that captures the essence of the Algarve's natural beauty.

Overall, Luísa's life and work are imbued with a sense of simplicity, humility, and a deep connection to the natural world, which shines through in her art.