hello,
I'm Madu Medeiros, nice to meet you!
I am a creatively bold and intense person, driven by a deep need for authentic self-expression. With a love for the ethereal, supernatural, the avant-garde, and the visually poetic, I find beauty in what others might overlook. My work lives at the intersection of horror and elegance, emotion and edge—where alternative style meets cinematic flare. I believe that being unique is a powerful statement, and I’m here to celebrate the rare, the intense, the spooky and the extraordinary.
about me
I’ve always been driven by art — not just as something to create, but as a way to exist in the world. For a long time, I thought being a daydreamer made me too much. I used to hide that part of me, trying to fit into boxes that never quite made sense. But over time, I realized that my imagination is actually one of my greatest strengths. It’s how I connect with others, tell stories, and leave something meaningful behind.
I grew up surrounded by books, movies, music, and painting — all of it shaped my sense of wonder and my need to create. It felt natural to turn those passions into a career. Today, I work across film, makeup artistry, production design, and graphic design. I don’t like limiting myself to one title. Like everyone else, I contain multitudes. I think of myself as a multi-artist — layered, evolving, and always experimenting with new ways to express myself.
Moving from Brazil to another country required all my strength and courage, and that journey turned me into someone I never imagined I could be. It made me grow — as a person, as a professional, and as a human. I try to be fearless, even when I’m scared. I push myself to be brave and put my work and my voice out into the world. I’m always seeking new things to explore and new ways to challenge myself. I love my comfort zone, but I know how important it is to step outside of it now and then.
In my free time, I find joy in painting, reading, and watching movies — especially horror films and romantic comedies. Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, along with Día de los Muertos. Even though I’m not Mexican, I’ve always been drawn to that celebration — there’s something deeply beautiful and inspiring in how it honors death as a part of life.
My work is a reflection of my personal journey — the things I love, the things I question, the things I’ve overcome. I’m inspired by emotion, beauty, identity, and transformation. Whether I’m building a character from scratch, designing a layout, or crafting a visual world, I always come back to one central idea: helping people feel seen and empowered to be their true selves.
I believe in embracing your quirks, your flaws, your softness, and your strength. That’s where the magic lives.
If something here speaks to you, let’s connect. Whether it’s a project, a collaboration, or just a kindred moment — I’d love to hear from you.
Education
2014-2018
Bachelor of Fine Arts
Filmmaking & Audiovisual
Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina, Brazil
Graduated with honours
This degree laid the foundation for my creative and professional journey. Through it, I explored every facet of film—both fiction and non-fiction— while gaining hands-on experience across the entire audiovisual production pipeline. I had the opportunity to delve into various areas of the industry, from screenwriting, directing, and editing to sound design, cinematography, and production management.
Beyond the technical skills, the program strengthened my critical and political thinking, nurtured my artistic voice, and deepened my understanding of ethics within the audiovisual field. I developed fluency in visual language, storytelling techniques, and media analysis, as well as a solid grasp of cinema history, theory, and cultural impact.
This immersive and multidisciplinary education prepared me to create, collaborate, and lead in diverse creative environments, always with a thoughtful, responsible, and original perspective.
2020-2022
Master's Degree on Language and Linguistics Sciences
PPGL Universidade do Sul de Santa Catarina, Brazil
Graduated with honours
My Master’s in Linguistic Sciences deepened my expertise in discourse, media and cultural analysis. I honed research and analytical skills through a curriculum grounded in the university’s mission of research, teaching, and extension, and enhanced my capacity for interdisciplinary, socially‑engaged scholarship.
For my dissertation, I investigated how art direction—specifically in Dumplin and Shrill—frames and mediates representations of larger bodies. This research applied discourse analysis to production design, bringing critical insight into intersections of gender, race, and visibility in mainstream audiovisual culture.
2018-2019
Production Design
Academia International de Cinema, Brazil
During my program at AIC I dove deep into the world of production design, where I build a concept-to-execution art-direction project for my portfolio, exploring how set, props and visual design support character, tone and the overall narrative. The hands-on structure and immersion in creative problem-solving helped me develop a professional mindset aligned with market realities.
2023-2024
Makeup Design for Film & TV
Vancouver Film School
Graduated with honours
Vancouver Film School was essential to develop even further my skills in beauty, character design, period makeup, special effects and prosthetics makeup, under the mentorship of working industry professionals. My final portfolio showcases complete makeup designs, from concept to on-set/camera ready application. This immersive and intense year gave me both the creative skills and professional discipline to work as a makeup artist across film, tv and the media industry. It also helped me develop even more my storytelling, visual language, color theory and visual composition.
2024-2025
Graphic Design
British Columbia Institute of Technology
At the BCIT program I built a strong foundation in key design principles such as layout, typography, color theory, composition and brand identity. Through hands-on training and real-world projects, I developed technical proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) and gained experience designing for both print and digital platforms.
I was trained to approach visual communication strategically—combining concept development, design thinking, and user-focused solutions. My coursework included corporate identity, editorial design, digital illustration, and basic UI/UX design. I also learned to work with creative briefs, manage project timelines, and present work with clarity and intention.
With a strong grasp of hierarchy, balance, contrast, and visual rhythm, I’m equipped to create thoughtful, visually engaging work that meets user needs and brand goals.