“Enter the Portal”

Criola Mural Celebration

The Miami Design District was proud to celebrate Criola's takeover of the iconic Jungle Plaza with her mural "Interdimensional Portal." Guests gathered under the stars for a special evening of art, music and dance. A cocktail hour hosted by Criola was followed by a percussion performance by Rhythm Portal with Le Monde Shows dancers and capes by Spiridonakou. The performance took place on Saturday, November 12, 2022.

Taking a stance against racism and state repression, the work of Brazilian artist Criola (born Tainá Lima, 1990) features Black women prominently. Her monumental mural in Jungle Plaza, titled "Interdimensional Portal", depicts four figures in profile, facing each other in a mirrored disposition. With its vibrant colors and highly stylized figures, the scene is completed with snake plants, hummingbirds, and serpents- popular elements in the Afro-Brazilian syncretic Candomblé religion. Through this suggestive iconography, Criola presents her characters in ritualistic performance, accessing ancient forest wisdom for medicinal purposes, and transcending thresholds of knowledge.