In September, I travelled to Portugal to visit a small eco-village near the Serra da Estrela mountains. I was supposed to stay for a week, but on the fourth day, something unexpected happened.

Monday was another hot and windy day. Around midday, we saw large flames racing over the mountain…

…towards us. We left the land in a rush, sadly leaving behind one of the cats called Pumpkin, as she had hidden herself somewhere.

We stayed away from the land for a day and later found out that the fire had stopped just a few meters before reaching some highly flammable Mimosa trees. Luckily, this time, nothing on the land burned except for some shrubland. None of us, humans, were harmed, and fortunately, Pumpkin, the cat who had hidden so well, was safe and unharmed.

Mimosa(Acacia dealbata) is a highly invasive species in Portugal originally from Australia that grows rapidly and outcompetes native species. The lack of biodiversity is a cause of so many problems on this planet. More biodiversity and real nature create greater resilience.

In my series of paintings, I have depicted my emotions during the wildfires, as well as inspiration from dreams I had before the event. In one dream, I was covered with dark scars, and in another, I was surrounded by a heavy, greyish-dark, round-shaped substance. I couldn’t fully express these feelings in words, so I made a quick drawing at the time that you can see here.

My paintings incorporate ashes from the wildfires, which will serve as the foundation for new trees to grow. I have also used water from Madeira’s levadas, the island’s traditional irrigation channels. Plants will grow if there is enough water, but there must be a balance between all the elements.

I’ve added volcanic soil from Madeira, representing the stable ground trees need in order to become sturdy. There is also sand from central Portugal, gathered by the Mondego River—the longest river in Portugal, whose name means “clear” or “transparent.” Some of the paintings feature a natural glittery substance, though I’m not entirely sure what it is—you tell me!? All the paints are mixed with acrylic so they won´t fall apart.