Art begins
with drawing
Cíntia Cris is a Brazilian visual artist based in Mogi das Cruzes, São Paulo. Working across realism and surrealism, her practice is centred on the human figure, with recurring interests in anatomy, expression, colour and the emotional presence of the portrait.
Drawing is at the heart of her work, and ballpoint pen has become one of her distinctive mediums, allowing images to develop gradually through layers of line, colour and texture.
From the line to the image
The human figure runs through the work. Gaze, anatomy, expression, colour and texture organise the image, built through the patient accumulation of small marks.
Realism and surrealism both appear. The drawing looks closely at the figure and leaves room for reflection, on presence, origin and what a face can carry.
Memory, origins and presence
My art is inspired by human expression, Brazilian culture and my own ancestry.
Part of my practice turns toward Indigenous peoples, memory and cultural heritage. I believe art has the power to keep memories alive, renew history and awaken reflection. Through my drawings, I seek to honour Indigenous peoples, their traditions and the cultural richness of Brazil, helping these stories and forms of knowledge pass between generations rather than be forgotten.
For me, drawing is also a way to preserve stories, recognise our origins and create connections between past, present and future.
The mark that remains
Ballpoint pen is one of Cíntia’s mediums. The mark stays on the paper. Lines accumulate, colour builds in layers and texture grows slowly, so the image takes shape through patience.
Widening the practice
Drawing also moves into other materials. In digital work, Procreate was a first experience of widening the practice and exploring new forms of expression. In tattooing, the work includes realism, mini-realism and delicate tattoo work. Cíntia wants to keep expanding her practice and exploring new territory.
Shows and press
In 2024 she took part in Exposição Emoções at Festival Somos CRIATIVUS, and in a show at the Câmara Municipal de Mogi das Cruzes. The TV Diário programme Compartilha presented her work in the episode Conheça o trabalho visual da Cíntia Cristina, available on Globoplay.
In 2026, she created A Cara do Brasil (“The Face of Brazil”), a ballpoint pen drawing exploring identity, diversity and the many roots that shape Brazil.
Essential facts
- Artist name
- Cíntia Cris
- Based in
- Mogi das Cruzes · SP
- Field
- Visual arts
- Practice
- The human figure, drawing and portraiture
- One of the media
- Ballpoint pen
- Exhibitions in 2024
- Exposição Emoções · Câmara Municipal
- Featured work
- A Cara do Brasil