Joana Simães’ practice is rooted in painting and driven by an ongoing curiosity about human experience and the psychological states that shape it. Working primarily with oils on wood, she moves between traditional approaches to representation and more graphic, pared-back forms. Influenced by artists such as Francisco Goya and Michael Borremans, she uses painting to explore atmosphere, perception, vulnerability and unease.
The body and face frequently become vehicles through which internal states are expressed, while questions of identity, social structures and personal experience emerge within ambiguous and often psychologically charged scenes. She is interested in the space between what is familiar and what feels unsettling, allowing ordinary gestures, figures and situations to become displaced or strange.

Rather than constructing fixed narratives, Joana attempts to create images that remain open-ended, inviting the viewer to project their own experiences and interpretations onto them. Through an experimental process, she allows each painting to develop its own psychological presence and emotional language.