Photo by Claire Esparros
Sabrina Bezerra (b. 1987) grew up in Northeastern Brazil, where she and her brother spent long afternoons playing in the dark earth of their grandmother’s farm. They would return home covered in clay, only to be washed off under the hose. That memory of soil, family, and place runs through all of her work.
Shaping large vessels from dark earth allows Sabrina to touch both the memory of her childhood and the resilience of the women who raised her. Though she has lived in Lisbon and now in the United States, her work continues to root her in Brazil, in its textures, smells, colors, and stories.
She signs these pieces as Antonia, her given first name, chosen in honor of Saint Anthony. By doing so, she hopes to honor her people, her family, and her ancestors. These vessels are not only objects but vessels of memory, embodying the soil, stories, and spirit of Northeastern Brazil.
Sabrina lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
