Born in Brazil, Lena Desterro’s fascination with collage began in her childhood, when she crafted paper dolls and detailed scenes from magazine cutouts. This early engagement with transforming paper into imaginative forms set the foundation for her artistic journey.
She creates unique collage papers by dissolving highly pigmented ink on clay-coated magazine pages, resulting in intriguing textures and patterns that she combines with other imagery from a variety of sources. Lena has also been experimenting with Augmented Reality, merging traditional techniques with AR technology to create dynamic, interactive experiences.
After immigrating to the United States, Lena continued to explore and deepen her art practice, embracing it as a partner in her exploration of memory, identity, and finding belonging in a new country. Lena currently lives and works in the San Francisco Bay Area.