Thais Linhares was born in Rio de Janeiro in 1970, and studied art at Senai (School of Graphic Design) and at the National School of Fine Arts / UFR. Her career began in 1988, when she worked as an editor on the Ygarapé books, and she has been awarded several prizes by FNLIJ (the Brazilian section of the International Board on Books for Young People). Linhares is also a regular attendee at the FNLIJ Book Salon for Children and Young People, the largest of its type in Brazil. She is an active advocate for human rights, organising public protests, and also works in communications for DDH – Human Rights Defenders Institute, an independent organisation for the victims of human rights violations.
During her 2-month residency at the Prieuré de La Charité-sur-Loire (Cité du Mot), her intention was to create policital portraits of the inhabitants of La Charité-sur-Loire, translating graphically their experiences in dialogue with the town. The initiative linked with her previous work with poets in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro.
Linares’ new project, titled ‘PORTRACTE’, involved immersing herself in the imagination, the memories and the life of the town of La Charité-sur-Loire, to weave together words and graphics which will illustrate her meeting with the town and its citizens. Finally, a portrait gallery was created, revealing the participants’ perspectives on time and on the place where they live, how they are influenced by their environment and how they intend to transform it in return. Some stories were transformed into visual narrations through cartoons, and other art forms and materials were also explored.