Catarina Costa

In 1972, the “Three Marias” wrote a book “A seis mãos” (by six hands). Three days after its publication, the Portuguese state censored the edition and destroyed the printing plates. Today, the oppressive systemic structures these women called out remain prevalent. Taking this history as a starting point, “A 20 Mãos / 20 Hands” invites a new collective of voices to expand the work, reactivating a lineage of resistance.

This degree project researches the politics of ornament as a tool of visual repair against censorship, drawing from the once-suppressed feminist manifesto to create an open, bilingual publication. Where the original was written by six hands, this expansion grows to twenty, bringing together diverse voices to revive a space for those who resist.