Panmela Castro – Portraits of Belonging

Honored by Newsweek as one of the “150 Women Who Shake the World,” internationally acclaimed artist and activist Panmela Castro presents her first-ever solo painting exhibition in Berlin for Berlin Art Week 2026. With Portraits of Belonging, 69Salon by Kornfeld showcases a series of large-scale paintings centered on questions of identity, belonging, and human encounter.

Created during a recent residency in Portugal, the portraits reflect historical and contemporary connections between Brazil and Portugal. Instead of abstract discourses, Castro seeks immediate, personal encounter. Her painting, which oscillates between precise figuration and gestural dissolution, captures her subjects in moments of compelling psychological depth.

Panmela Castro thus reclaims a genre historically dedicated to the representation of power and status. In her hands, the portrait becomes an act of recognition, lending dignity and presence to those whose stories and faces often remain invisible in the public consciousness. This artistic stance is also rooted in her long-standing social activism, such as her organization Rede NAMI, which uses art as a tool for women affected by violence.