Born and raised in Cascais, Portugal, and now residing in the UK Rita is a researcher and photographer whose practice interrogates the themes of identity, community, and belonging.
Rita first moved to the UK to pursue her education, eventually completing a PhD in Computer Science. It was during that time that Rita developed her photographic practice. It serves as a sensemaking tool of her place in the world through long-term projects. Rita’s work has a strong focus on analogue processes and the materiality of the work, which includes darkroom printing, book and frame making by hand, as well as collaborative practices.
In the Summer of 2023, Rita took part in the University of Nottingham and Make it Easy Lab 2023 Residency Program. As part of the program, Rita took part in a group exhibition hosted at Beam Gallery, Nottingham. Out of the six residents who took part in the program, she was one of the two chosen to extend the residency for further development of the project. Rita her first solo show of the Meadows project in September 2025.
In 2025, she took part in the East Meets West Masterclass for emergent UK photographers, which culminated in a group exhibition at FORMAT Festival. Later in the year, she was mentored by Thi My Lien Nguyen as part of the Centre de la Photographie Genève’s 2025 mentorship program.
Programs and Exhibitions
- University of Nottingham and Make it Easy Lab 2023 Residency Program - Out of the six residents who took part in the program, I was one of the two chosen to extend the residency for further development of the project.
- Group exhibition hosted at Beam Gallery, Nottingham.
- Portfolio Review with Magnum Photos at Rencontres d’Arles 2024
- East Meets West Masterclass 24/25 - organised by Grain Projects, Format Festival and Quad Derby
- Unloud group exhibition - Turntable Gallery, Grimsby - February 2025
- Overture group exhibition - FORMAT Festival - March 2025
- The Meadows - solo exhibition - Green Meadows’ Climate Hub - September 2025
- The Sisterhood Collective group exhibition - November 2025
- Centre de la Photographie Genève Mentorship Program - mentored by Thi My Lien Nguyen - Summer/Autumn 2025