Hi! I’m Mayra, an artist and maker. I’m someone who’s always felt between worlds. I was born in the US to Brazilian parents. Growing up I never felt like I belonged in either world. When I had the opportunity to live in Brazil in my teenage years, I felt like I encountered the other half of myself. Immersing myself in my culture revealed who I was and allowed me to become my most authentic self. I've come to believe that not belonging to one place has allowed me to belong everywhere. Since then, my work has explored the duality of existing between these worlds through the lens of my Brazilian identity and my search for belonging. Like my own identity, my practice resists being confined to a single medium. I choose materials based on what each idea asks of me, moving between metal, textiles, photography, video, animation, graphic design, and craft to create work that invites connection. My recent work has shifted from examining my own search for belonging toward creating opportunities for connection between people. I am interested in the ways small acts of making can transform strangers into collaborators and fleeting encounters into lasting relationships. Through handmade objects, storytelling, travel, and exchanges, I explore how authenticity invites curiosity and generosity, creating moments of genuine connection and unexpected magic.