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Leo de Paula (b. 1998) is a Brazilian artist born and raised in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, and now based in Newark, New Jersey. His first contact with the arts was through theater, which he began at the age of eleven. Shortly after finishing high school, he shifted his focus to the visual arts, beginning with photography and eventually expanding into painting, sculpture, and mixed-media installations. He is currently pursuing his BFA at Rutgers University, graduating in May 2026.
Across his body of work, de Paula examines how first-generation immigrants negotiate identity within built environments designed to regulate behavior and access. His practice engages questions of displacement and belonging, tracing how systems of space and design shape his experience as an Afro-Latino living in the United States. He imagines alternative forms of cultural connection within contemporary social landscapes.