Ana Aragão presents at ESAD the lecture and workshop Places of Fiction regarding the Master in Communication Design, coordinated by Andrew Howard.

Ana Aragão is an architect, with a Degree from the Faculty of Architecture from the University of Porto (2009), where she also worked as guest monitor. After taking her PhD in Coimbra (2011-2014), she decided to interrupt the scientific investigation and dedicate herself professionally to drawing/illustration. She continues the investigation concerning the city and urban imaginaries through graphic reflections.

It is from her own universe that rises her strong fascination with the representation of cities, either imaginary or not. Intrigued with the emotional maps that appear from the everyday experience between inhabitant and space, her elaborated "anagrafias" are a pretext to launch a critical gaze over the territory, construction methods and, mainly, the contemporary ways of inhabiting.

From her work, we highlight her participation in Bienal de Veneza in 2014 and 2016, her appearance in the cover of the Chinese publication Casa and the selection by Luerzer’s Archive for 200 Best Illustrators Worldwide. We can also highlight collaborations and partnerships with reference brands, such as Porto Barros, the Tapeçarias Ferreira de Sá, Jofebar, Schmidt Light Metal, Vista Alegre, among others.

She was also invited to develop specific projects about a few Portuguese cities, namely Lisbon (Meo Out Jazz), Espinho (Cartografia (des)encontrada), Braga (Noite Branca), Aveiro (Lugares Múltiplos) and Guimarães (Casa da Memória). Porto, the city where she lives and works, has a strong influence over all her work.

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