Check Out Mônica Moura’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mônica Moura.

Hi Mônica, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. 
I was born and raised in Sao Paulo, Brazil. In 2014, I was accepted into University of Sao Paulo (USP) in the Visual Arts program. While in undergrad, I engaged with many different art-making processes and techniques, but deep down, I already knew I wanted to make animations. During my third year, I did academic research on pre-cinematic devices, which gave me enough knowledge to start building my own “animation machines,” as I like to call them. My thesis film was a short animation titled (OvO), which was about animation itself (and also about chickens). The short did pretty well and got into many festivals, I’m still very proud of it to this day. After graduating, I did some freelance work for a while, but I felt like there was still a lot to learn. Eventually, I decided to apply for the Experimental Animation MFA program at Calarts. I was accepted in 2021 and will graduate this year (2024). 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
2020 was a very challenging year to say the least – and I believe that’s true for most people – Aside from the pandemic, which had all sorts of implications in Brazil, I was also between jobs and not yet certain that I should apply to Calarts. The application process itself was very time-consuming and involved, among many other things, finding a testing site for the English proficiency test during lockdown. Looking back now, I feel like it was absolutely worth it, but I remember being very insecure at that time. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I work mostly with animation, more specifically stop-motion, even though I also work with 2D digital animations sometimes. I think it really depends on the nature of the project. As I mentioned earlier, I’m into building my own animation machines, which can be considered kinetic sculptures. Right now, I’m working on my thesis film, in which I’m using strata-cut animation a lot; this technique has quickly become a big part of my production in the last couple of years. My process consists of tying the theme of each piece to the technique and visuality in ways that reveal the potentials of each chosen material. I’d say generally that I’m interested in deconstructive topics inside animation and in works that question their own medium. I believe these aspects are deeply present in my production as an artist. 

Any big plans?
After I graduate, I would like to keep working with stop-motion somehow, either as a freelancer or in a studio. I feel like this technique really gives me the chance to explore new possibilities as I’m creating. I’m also very interested in editing and post-production in general, so I can definitely see that as a prospect for the future as well. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://monicam.cargo.site
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mouramon_art
• Other: https://vimeo.com/monicamoura