Known for photographing historical landmarks filled with helium balloons, she conceives scenes that blend the real with the imaginary, the present with the past, and the adult with the child.
Born in São Paulo, Flávia Junqueira draws inspiration from the visual universe of childhood and the construction of an imaginary about this period of life as the inspiration and starting point for her creations. In her work, scenes of the real and the fictitious, the physical and the allegorical, the present and the past, the adult and the child converge and connect.
The artist employs photography and scenography in architectural or open spaces to create atmospheres of illusionism and fascination. Known for photographing historical landmarks filled with helium balloons, she conceives scenes that blend the real with the imaginary, the present with the past, and the adult with the child.
Flávia Junqueira’s exploration of staged photography techniques enables her to meticulously craft images where every element is carefully chosen and arranged to express preconceived concepts. Her selection of locations, primarily historic theaters and other culturally relevant spaces, serves as a backdrop for her artistic interventions, reaffirming the power of these often overlooked places.
A striking characteristic of her work is the poetic contrast of temporalities, where classical heritage coexists with balloons, evoking the magic of childhood in historically rich settings. Junqueira reveals that her goal is to rescue forgotten spaces, infusing them with new life and narrative while deconstructing conventional expectations.
While her work does not primarily focus on childhood, it reveals a quest to explore atypical realities and playful elements as strategies for addressing complex themes such as death and trauma.
The artist’s works are found in prestigious collections such as MAR-RJ, MAM-SP, MIS-SP, MAB-FAAP, Museu do Itamaraty, RedBull Station, World Bank, and Instituto Figueiredo Ferraz.
A Doctor of the Institute of Art at the State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), with a master’s degree in Visual Poetics from the University of São Paulo and a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Fundação Armando Álvares Penteado, the artist also holds a postgraduate degree in photography from FAAP.
Her name is highlighted by her participation in prominent projects and exhibitions, such as “Culture and Conflict: IZOLYATSIA in Exile” at the Palais de Tokyo (Paris, 2014), “The World Bank Art Program” at the Kaunas Photo Festival (2010), “Tomorrow I will be born again” at Cité Dês Arts (2011), and “Subjetivo Feminino: una Mirada Latino Americana” from the Photo España project at Instituto Cervantes São Paulo (2009).
Noteworthy contributions also include “Projeto para Finais Felizes” at the Season of Projects of the Paço das Artes (São Paulo, 2013), awarded the Energias in Arte Prize from Instituto Tomie Otahke in 2009.
Other notable contributions include “Gorlovka” in the Itinerant Program “Nova Fotografia” (2015) and “Tentativas e Apostas – Notas de um Processo” at the Red Bull House of Art exhibition - São Paulo-SP Artistic Residency (2010). The artist also participated in the Collective Exhibition of Atelier Aberto #5, part of the residency program at Casa Tomada in 2011, among other relevant events.