artist, she/her, NL/BR, based in Amsterdam,
curious how people observe themselves
and the world they are part of.
WORK
PROJECTS/ WORKSHOPS
[ EN / NL / PT ]
Joana Velu is an artist driven by curiosity about how people perceive themselves and the world they are part of.
She was raised between the Netherlands and Brazil and has a background in Cultural Studies (Maastricht University) and Fine Arts (Gerrit Rietveld Acadamie), where she currently works as well.
Her work aims to encourage opennes to both inner and shared worlds. She creates immersive, collaborative experiences that invite deeper awareness and connection. Body awareness and attention to the present moment are key tools enabling intimacy and authentic communication with oneself, others and beyond. Narratives and personal experience also play an important role, inevitably reflecting broader societal structures, ecological conditions and existential questions. More than anything, it is through our
bodies and the power of imagination that we may experience life at its fullest and touch truth when navigating different realities at the same time.
Her artistic practice moves across media such as ceramics, video, drawing, text, and performance, often unfolding in site-specific settings.The works range from one-on-one interactions to collective rituals, workshops, installations, and objects that appreciates small gestures and an eye for detail.
Photograph by Liza Zilver