Lais Amaral is a craftsperson-artist with a degree in Social Work from the Universidade Federal Fluminense (UFF), where she initiated her research on the effects of environmental collapse in contemporary times. Her study involves comparing the contexts of environmental desertification to the project of whitening the population, nature, and the organization of life in its subjective and spiritual dimensions.

The artist refers to the act of painting as “leaking,” aiming to evoke the movements of nature and moisten the forms of existence. This experience is directly connected to the mysteries and apprehension of the sensitive reality that permeates memory and time. Currently, she is dedicated to recognizing her family constitution, inhabiting and stretching the sociostructural gaps between craftsmanship and art.

Lais Amaral is a co-founder of the Trovoa collective and has participated in programs such as “Any direction out of the center / Qualquer direção fora do centro” and “Cenas Para outras linguagens,” with Camilla Rocha at the School of Visual Arts of Parque Lage (2018) and the course “Arte e espiritualidade – O caminhar como prática estética” at the Hélio Oiticica Municipal Center for the Arts.

She has held solo exhibitions like “Estude fundo” at Mendes Woods in Brussels, “No meio do peito um buraco fundo, o mais fundo da cachoeira, onde a luz não vem de fora” at HOA in São Paulo, “Vazante” at the Niterói Arts Foundation in 2019, “Bebendo água no Saara” at the Anita Schwartz Gallery in Rio de Janeiro in 2020, and “Cimento e água” at the M+B Gallery in Los Angeles in 2022.

Lais participated in the Trovoa Residency at the Hélio Oiticica Municipal Center for the Arts in 2019 and various group exhibitions, including “Um defeito” (MAR, RJ, 2022), “Abstrações” (SESC, RJ, 2022), “Somos aquelas que permeiam o abismo em busca das frestas” at the Tomie Ohtake Institute (SP, 2021), “Crônicas Cariocas” (MAR, RJ, 2021), “Between Rivers, Waterfalls and The Deepest sea, Open Roads” at M+B(LA. USA, 2021), “Travessias 6” at Galpão Bela Maré (RJ, 2020), “Si viven en las mañanas, Interior 2.1” (Guadalajara, MX, 2019), “Bela verão” (RJ, 2018), among others.

Otávio Portela has built a versatile artistic career as a dancer, performer, and creative interpreter. He has worked with various dance companies in Brazil and abroad, participating in numerous festivals and stages worldwide. Notably, he performed at Chaillot Théâtre National de la Danse in Paris (FR), alongside prominent figures in the national and international contemporary dance scene.

In addition to his collaborations with artists in the fields of photography and performance, [Name] has also been involved in producing collaborative video-dances. It is through these projects that he developed an interest in video performance as a discursive platform to explore the poetics of the Black body in diaspora, drawing inspiration from his own experiences in transit.

Kikelomo is a critically acclaimed British-Nigerian DJ, presenter, curator, Boiler Room host, and co-founder of Oroko Radio. Since September 2017, Kikelomo has experienced explosive growth, performing on various continents alongside major names in the music industry. Her eclectic sound is the result of many influences in her life, including her hometown, London, and her Nigerian roots. As a result, her high-energy sets have become known for skillful mixing and eclecticism, and her unique sound, in turn, has gained fame for its ability to get crowds moving.

Oroko is a non-profit community radio station that serves as a platform for African and diasporic creative communities, connecting, inspiring, and empowering local, national, and international artists across different disciplines through conversations and collaboration. Oroko Radio aims to reclaim and refocus the narratives of African and diasporic artistic communities, with a special focus on local perspectives in Accra, while also cultivating and nurturing relationships with similar projects worldwide. Oroko Radio highlights alternative sounds and thoughts originating from and influenced by the African continent. The station provides a stage for local musicians, DJs, thinkers, moderators, and content creators—an independent center for self-expression and thought through sound.