The Team
Who We Are
Svenja Gres
Co-Founder & Artistic Lead
Art has always been Svenja’s way – a space of freedom, curiosity and connection. She began painting as a child and quickly fell in love with how it made her feel.
Today, she focuses on oil painting. Svenja is drawn to its quiet slowness – the layering, the play of light and color and how the process unfolds intuitively over time. In the same spirit, she is committed to creating spaces where others can connect with their own creative language.
Her path has always moved between the artistic and the social. She studied theatre pedagogy, earned a Master’s in social work, made music, ran a cultural café and organized community projects.
Currently, she is refining her artistic perspective in the three-year painting program at Ar.Co in Lisbon – one of Portugal’s leading independent art schools. Alongside her studies, she works as an Art Tutor at About the Self, a mental health co-living project developed in partnership with Manicómio, an organization that bridges mental health and art.
Svenja believes in the creative force within everyone. For those who feel a call to make art their home, her work is about nurturing that need – with a love for art, attention to the process and the joy of creation.
+49 179 9880899
João Batarda
Co-Founder & Artistic Lead
Born and currently based in Lisbon, João pursued his studies at IADE - Creative University in Portugal and the NewSchool of Architecture & Design in California. Since then, he has worked as a Designer and more recently enrolled in a three-year painting course at Ar.Co - Centro de Arte e Comunicação Visual to strengthen his painting skills and further his development as an Artist.
João is deeply passionate about abstract painting, drawing, and color, interests that have been part of his life since an early age. A significant aspect of his work is influenced by pareidolia—a psychological phenomenon that allows him to discover meaningful patterns in random stimuli.
His artistic journey is a continual search for balance between the abstract and the tangible, pushing the boundaries of his intuitive narrative to create pieces that blend innovation, emotion, and a strong sense of identity.
In addition to his artistic practice, João serves as an Art Tutor at About the Self – Mental Health Co-living, where he facilitates creative workshops for residents. Through mixed media he guides participants in using various art techniques as tools for self-expression and emotional healing.
+ 351 916 852 412
