Marcela Cantuaria uses the chromatic and compositional possibilities of painting to redeem historical symbols and create visual narratives that favour the protagonism of women. Her works are often a reflection on the intersections between race, gender and class, and they function as collages that avoid linear or simplified readings.
In Maria Felipa and the Beast from the Sea (2022), the artist worked with the Frente de Mulheres das Brigadas Populares (Popular Brigades Women’s Front) to create a portrait of Maria Felipa, a legendary figure in the movement for the Independence of Bahia. Absent from the documentary records of the time, Maria Felipa persists in the oral narrative as a female leader responsible for acts of rebellion against Portuguese troops, together with other women. The installation comprises two paintings and a set of banners that present Maria Felipa as a figure who connects the past with the present and a leader who is a symbol of collective and community articulation.