Ana Leal

About me

Coming from a patriarchal family in the Northeast of Brazil, I began my path in the art world when finally decided, almost at age 50, to dedicate myself fully to an old passion: photography. With a female gaze and perspective my research focuses on psychological themes and universal existential questions. For me photography is the perfect combination between magic and math.

Inspired by minimalist traditions and impressionist painters, my images are simple, geometric and often abstract. I consider photography a tool to both register and escape reality. Photographing analogically or digitally most of the time with 50 mm lenses, I capture images of nature and daily life that I observe or stage, to compose bodies of work that invite the viewer into my inner labyrinths. This is my use of the camera to engage the audience and share sensations and feelings, and the way I found to push the boundaries of photography.

Born in Recife, Brazil, in 1969, I live and work in São Paulo. I'm a Gold Award winner at the Tokyo International Foto Awards 2020 and the 15th Julia Margaret Cameron Award, received a Bronze Medal at the ND Awards 2021 and Honorable Mentions at the IPA 2021, Rotterdam Photo 2021, Prix de La Photographie Paris 2019 and The 15th Pollux Awards. I completed my MFA at the Miami International University of Arts and Design (2018) and my work is part of the collection of the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts.