Hi | Olá,
I'm Rosário Durão, an illustrator and lettering artist based in Oeiras, Portugal.
I create art about women as they actually are: complex, contradictory, powerful, feeling. Every piece I create begins with something that attracts me: a look, an expression, a quality I want to understand better. Then, somewhere along the process of creating her, I fall in love with her. That's when the work is alive.
The result is a body of work I call visual mantras. Images that depict women, and affirm female agency. Art that women say “I am like that.”
Art for your everyday
You can find my work in my online shop, The Warrior Muse, and at local markets in Portugal. Whether it's a print for your wall, a tote bag you carry everywhere, or a card for someone you love, my mission is the same: to bring soul-centered storytelling directly into your home, your wardrobe, your daily life.
I believe art should be lived with, not just looked at.
Working with brands and publications
I also collaborate with lifestyle brands, publishers, and editorial clients who want visual storytelling that places complex women center stage.
I work internationally, in English e Português.
Background
I bring over 30 years of experience in visual communication, rooted in creative practice and academic rigor.
Before focusing on illustration, I was an Associate Professor teaching visual and technical communication at the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology.
I hold a PhD in Translation Studies from Universidade Aberta, Lisbon, a Digital and Graphic Design Certificate from Parsons School of Design, and completed The Lettering Seminar and The Big Leap diploma program with Martina Flor.
That foundation (research, language, design thinking) is invisible in the finished work. But it is in every decision.
