How Fatinha Ramos Channels ‘Visual Activism’ in Her Richly Layered Illustrations

“To me, being a visual activist means I only illustrate stories that resonate with me deeply, by giving voice to minorities or social situations that need to be addressed,” says Fatinha Ramos. “It is the only way I can truly connect with others.”

Based in Antwerp, the Portuguese artist and illustrator is well-known for blending analog and digital techniques to create rich, emotive compositions. Collaborating with clients like The New York Times, The Washington Post, Tate, and Scientific American, among many others, Ramos has cultivated a keen eye for storytelling through her distinctive visual language.

an illustration by Fatinha Ramos of herself and Frida Kahlo in bed with red-stemmed plants growing from their bodies

Recent partnerships include the Anne Frank Museum and MoMA, the latter of which commissioned the artist to illustrate an essay on her experience being compared to Frida Kahlo. Ramos was born with osteogenesis imperfecta, commonly called brittle bone disease, which spurred a childhood spent in and out of hospitals. Drawing and art-making quickly became a preferred pastime, allowing her to transport herself from such clinical settings.

This adolescent hobby stuck, and Ramos worked as an art director in advertising and publishing for 12 years before venturing out on her own. Boasting an impressive list of clients and collaborators, she considers her practice to be an antidote to stereotypical narratives, whether related to the climate crisis, sexism, racism, or the dire lack of empathy that seems rampant in today’s world.

“I want to move away from the narrative that turns artists with disabilities into symbols of resilience,” she tells MoMA. “Creativity does not happen despite limitations but through them. Art should broaden how we see the world—and that includes how we see bodies, too.”

At the moment, Ramos is only accepting select illustration clients as she focuses on a graphic novel and her fine art practice, including a series of anatomical glass sculptures based on brittle bone disease. You can explore more of her practice on her website and Instagram.

an illustration by Fatinha Ramos of a woman crying with leaves falling in the background

an illustration by Fatinha Ramos of herself and Frida Kahlo with their hearts and hands connected

an illustration by Fatinha Ramos of a small figure in a boat looking at a large lush island at night

an illustration by Fatinha Ramos of a figure standing in the shadow of an army of cats

an illustration by Fatinha Ramos of a little girl looking down at a puddle while it rains

an illustration by Fatinha Ramos of two figures entwined

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