INTERVIEW Christy Quilliam
Roberta Queiroga is a contemporary, award-winning artist originally from Brazil, who has lived and worked in Portugal, Japan, and now Aotearoa New Zealand. Trained as an architect and urbanist, Queiroga also taught architectural design – an influence that still shapes her artistic language. Her background informs a practice deeply connected to structure, space, and emotion, often reflecting on the idea of multiple homes and a hybrid identity.
Roberta’s work is often described as gestural, expressive and spontaneous – it’s an exploration of emotional landscapes through direct, tactile engagement with her materials. She frequently works with her hands and employs intuitive mark-making techniques, giving her paintings an immediacy and physical presence. A minimalist aesthetic plays a central role in her art, balancing positive and negative space with precision and restraint. Often working in monochrome or with a limited palette, Queiroga creates visual tension and harmony through subtle contrasts and texture.
Noir Series (Black-on-Black Composition)
“Depth revealed: subtle textures and light interplay in a contemplative minimalist black-on-black exploration.”
Her acclaimed Noir series embodies this refined approach; elegant, abstract, and contemplative works in which black-on-black compositions explore movement, mood and reflection. These pieces invite viewers to experience how light transforms and reveals the depth within the darkness. In contrast her recent work channels energy and vitality through her use of yellow, a colour she uses to convey warmth, motion and renewal.
Energy Series (Yellow Composition)
“Vitality in motion: translating emotion into bold, expressive marks in my personal blend of yellow.”
Queiroga is a finalist for the Parkin prize with an auto-biographical work crafted from her own wedding dress – titled The Diverse Dress – which reflects themes of vulnerability, memory and transformation, and her Inside Out Reverse series, a collection of diptychs, was exhibited at the Auckland Museum. These artworks delve into the inner emotional states associated with hybrid identities – the tension between self and elsewhere.
The Divorce Dress (Parkin Prize Finalist)
“An autobiographical work from my wedding dress, reflecting vulnerability, memory, and transformation.”
In April 2025 Queiroga was honoured to be selected for the 8th edition of Art Connects Women in Dubai, as one of 112 artists chosen from around the world. She joined this international community of artists celebrating creativity, diversity and cultural exchange for Art Nights, which was presented in conjunction with the Dubai Culture and Arts Authority, immersed in the dynamic setting of the 19th Dubai International Finance Centre (DIFC). Queiroga has also completed an artist residency in Japan, where the environment and aesthetic philosophy continues to influence her contemplative, spatially aware approach to her abstract art.
Noir Series (Black-on-Black Composition)
“Depth revealed: subtle textures and light interplay in a contemplative minimalist black-on-black exploration.”
Christy Quilliam: Can you tell me what is is about the Japan residency that influenced your work? For example you speak about the calligraphy inspiration.
Roberta Queiroga: My residency in Japan, particularly my engagement with Shodō calligraphy, was a defining moment. I was first exposed to shodō as a student during the time that I lived and studied in Japan, and I absorbed as much as I could – training, observing, visiting exhibitions. At the time I did not feel free to fully include it in my practice. I worried that as a gaijin (foreigner), I wasn’t supposed to attempt it. This recent residency changed that entirely. I was encouraged to explore shodō on my own terms, transforming kanji (characters) and emphasising ideas in a personal, expressive way. In kokoro (heart) for example, I integrated a heart into the brush movement, while in other kanji I exaggerated parts to convey specific ideas.
Shodō reinforced the value of restraint, breath, and presence. Each stroke is final, demanding courage and acceptance – qualities that have long been part of my practice, now heightened and sharpened through this engagement. While I work in acrylics rather than sumi-ink, the spirit of shodō – the simplicity, immediacy, and honesty of mark-making – deeply resonates in my language. My work often features minimalist, bold brushstrokes, subtly echoing the philosophy and movement of calligraphy.
Energy Series (Yellow Composition)
“Vitality in motion: translating emotion into bold, expressive marks in my personal blend of yellow.”
CQ: A “dialogue between spontaneity and control” – what does that look/feel like for you?
RQ: This dialogue is deeply autobiographical. It balances the primal urge to create with the architectural discipline I carry. In my triptych The Continuous Dialogue Between Intuition and Rationality Throughout Life chapters I, II and III, the continuous black stroke embodies the enduring presence of intuition, while the white mark reflects rationality – the structure imposed on our lives that suppresses intuition. The backgrounds mirror different phases of my life, showing how intuition persists through time, and eventually gains more freedom at moments of realisation.
Similarly, works like The Divorce Dress – created from remnants of my wedding dress – and Inside Out Reverse, are highly autobiographical. They reveal vulnerability and personal history, exposing my experiences without masks. This process is a constant negotiation in my work, where intuition leads, but rationality ensures this emotional truth translates into a clear and compelling visual form.
CQ: You have also spoken about “vulnerability and personal history”. Do you find your work cathartic, and do you or have you, felt any reticence when it comes to sharing your work with the audience? What would you like the viewer to take away with them when sharing such strong emotions?
RQ: I never consciously thought of my work as cathartic, but it may well be on a subconscious level. Art is where I can express emotions that are often difficult to articulate with words. I believe this honestly allows genuine connection with the audience. For example; when Inside Out Reverse was exhibited at the Auckland Museum, several people I didn’t know reached out to tell me how deeply the work resonated with them, and how they could see their own emotions reflected in it. That kind of connection is profoundly moving. I hope that those who relate to my pieces feel embraced, understood, and less alone in their own experiences.
The Continuous Dialogue Between Intuition and Rationality – Chapters I, II, III
“Life’s interplay of intuition and structure captured through bold, continuous strokes and layered backgrounds.”
CQ: The multi-cultural differences and the influences of Brazil show through in your work – how and what about the street carnival and colours of the city influence your work?
RQ: The street carnival of Recife and Olinda are multi-sensory, layered experiences of colours, sound, and senses. These are not staged events but a genuine, pure celebration of life and freedom. I translate that energy into the Street Carnival – Transformation series. I built many layers on the canvas, sometimes intentionally obscuring them so they disappeared beneath new ones, while others left subtle traces – slight volumes and textures, that hint at what lies beneath. I then sealed the piece with resin to capture that sparkle of vibrancy, happiness and light. The result is a body of work characterised by vibrant colour, mismatching, and unexpected composition. It stands in contrast to my usual minimalist palette and compositions, being seen as a heartfelt homage to the incredible spirit of the cities of Recife and Olinda. While working on this series I was completely immersed, listening to carnival rhythms such as Frevo (Brazilian music), and feeling the pulse of that celebration flow into my brush.
CQ: How has your mixed heritage and influences from your childhood inspired your work?
RQ: I was fortunate to grow up in a family where creativity was deeply supported and encouraged. Many relatives pursued their own artistic paths across different mediums, from painting to photography, which instilled in me from an early age a sense of possibility and the confidence to explore my own voice. My art is completely infused with whakapapa – the threads that link generations and cultures. Having lived across four continents – moving from Brazil to Aotearoa New Zealand 24 years ago, I carry a heightened sensitivity to space, culture, and belonging. This translates into a core theme in my work; the global flow of migration and the evolution of identity. The journey my great-grandfather took migrating from Portugal to Brazil, to my own move, and now my child being half-Kiwi, provides a narrative framework. My work explores what is carried forward – culturally, aesthetically, and spiritually – and what is created anew in the process of becoming.
Recent Solo Exhibition (Gallery View)
“Immersive mark-making on display, where artwork and viewer engage in dialogue.”
CQ: Is there a time when you struggle to start/complete a piece or collection?
RQ: Absolutely. Struggle is an essential part of the creative process, often arriving just before a breakthrough. For me, the greatest challenges come during periods of conceptual saturation, when the vision feels complete in my mind but the execution resists. In those moments I step away – sometimes working on a different piece, sometimes removing the work entirely from sight – until I can return with clarity and renewed perspective. Often the struggle arises when a piece becomes too ‘noisy’, pushing against my desire for minimalism. My Noir series in particular has tested me in this way, demanding restraint and patience. Yet these struggles are deeply productive. They sharpen my choices, deepen my understanding of the work, and ultimately lead to more impactful outcomes.
CQ: How do you see yourself growing as an artist? What do you aspire to be?
RQ: I see my growth in refining expressive, minimalist works and creating large-scale pieces that carry bold, dynamic mark-making. As a ‘no borders’ artist I move fluidly between cultures, particularly in the three countries where I hold citizenship – New Zealand, Brazil, and Portugal – allowing each context to inform my practice. My ambition is for my work to resonate across continents, contributing to conversations on diaspora, memory, and mark-making, while continually inviting dialogue between artwork, viewer, and space.
Roberta Queiroga’s grandfather : Wladmir Queiroga
CQ: What artists do you admire and how have they influenced your work?
RQ: My earliest influence was my grandfather Wladmir, a multi-faceted artist whose work ranged from pointillist landscapes to poetry. His constant creativity and unconventional thinking shaped the way I approach art. Brazilian modernists such as; Tomie Ohtake, architect Lina Bo Bardi, and the stain-glassed, jewellery and sculpture artist Marianne Peretti further expanded my understanding of composition, space and scale. I was lucky enough to meet Marianne during my university years, and had inspiring conversations about composition and negative space. I also deeply admire Hayoa Miyazaki, whom I serendipitously met in Japan. What inspires me most is his way of thinking. All of these figures, past and present, shared a few characteristics in common; they were bold, confident, original, and uncompromising in their own voice. They continue to encourage me to remain true to my own expressive vision.
Roberta Queiroga : Studio Photo – Energy Series
“Capturing movement, colour, and expression in progress in the studio.”