Aizita Nascimento

Aizita Nascimento was the first black Miss Brazil. She participated in the contest Miss Rio of 1963, but only managed to get on the 6th place. She left the stage with the choir of an audience outraged by the result and shouted “We want the black lady! We want the black lady! We want the black lady! ” Her participation in the awards opened a very important precedent in the exaltation and appreciation of the beauty and self-esteem of the black woman in the country.

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HELÔ PINHEIRO

At the age of 17, Heloísa Pinheiro became the source of inspiration for the song “The Girl from Ipanema” when she was seen strolling to the beach in her native Rio de Janeiro’s Ipanema neighbourhood by songwriters Antônio Carlos Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes. Garota de Ipanema” (“The Girl from Ipanema”) is a Brazilian bossa nova song. It was a worldwide hit in the mid-1960s and won a Grammy for Record of the Year in 1965.

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MÔNICA

The Brazilian woman honored today is a very famous girl – Monica. She was created in 1960 by Maurício de Souza and ever since, this strong female remained the most popular character of Brazilian comics. Her books sell more copies than Mickey Mouse in Brazil.

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Hortência Marcari, Magic Paula & Janeth Arcain

Hortência Marcari, Magic Paula & Janeth Arcain. the Brazilian women’s national basketball team won the gold medal at that year’s Pan American tournament held in Cuba. In 1994, Hortência won the women’s world basketball championship in Australia, making Brazil the only country other than the Soviet Union or the United States to win the title.

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SHIRLEY MALLMANN

Shirley Mallmann is a Brazilian model. She is considered the first Brazilian top model and is best known for her work with Jean Paul Gaultier, who immortalized her silhouette in his first perfume, “Classique” in a 1999 ad. Known for her amazing runway walk, she’s also done multiple covers of Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan among others worldwide.

Zezé Motta

Maria José Motta de Oliveira, known as Zezé Motta is a Brazilian actress and singer. She is considered one of the most important black actresses in Brazil.

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CARMEN MIRANDA (1909 – 1955)

Carmen Miranda was a Portuguese-born Brazilian samba singer, dancer, Broadway actress, and film star. She became the first South American to be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

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JÚLIA DA SILVA BRUHNS (1851 – 1923)

Júlia da Silva Bruhns was the Brazilian wife of Johann Heinrich Mann, and mother of the famous writers Thomas Mann and Heinrich Mann. She wrote an autobiographical work called Aus Dodos Kindheit, in which she described her idyllic childhood in Brazil. Her sons Heinrich and Thomas created characters inspired by her in several of their books.

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Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies

Teresa Cristina of the Two Sicilies nicknamed “the Mother of the Brazilians” was the Empress consort of Emperor Dom Pedro II of Brazil. She was from the Italian branch of the House of Bourbon. She also sponsored Italian immigration to Brazil. There are no official numbers but it’s believed that more than 20% of Brazilian population has Italian ancestry.

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Dandara

Dandara was a Brazilian warrior of the colonial period of Brazil. Described as a hero, Dandara dominated the techniques of capoeira and fought many battles alongside men and women to defend Palmares, the place where escaped slaves would go to live safely.

My wife used to say I drew women very badly. The problem was, in my childhood I read way too many superhero comics.  And they were mostly guys, so I haven’t never sketched the female figure enough.

I decided to correct this mistake by drawing more women.

It was about a month ago, I began to draw a series of illustrations to pay homage to Brazilian women. And so, to give value to the most charming part of our history.

ANITA GARIBALDI (1821-1849)

The “Heroine of Two Worlds”. She received this title for having participated in Brazil and Italy, along with her husband Giuseppe Garibaldi, of several battles. He fought in the Farroupilha Revolution, in the Battle of Curitibanos and in the Battle of Gianicolo, Italy.

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Isabel, Princess Imperial of Brazil (1846 -1921)

Isabel signed a law, named Lei Áurea or the Golden Law, emancipating all slaves in the country.

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Maria Quitéria (1792–1853)

Maria was a Brazilian lieutenant and national heroine. She served in the Brazilian War of Independence in 1822–23 dressed as a man. She has been called “Brazilian Joan of Arc,”and has become a kind of national legendary figure. Quitéria was the first woman to serve in a military unit in Brazil.

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Maria Esther Bueno

Maria is a former Brazilian tennis player. She was the year-end number-one ranked female player four times and was known for her graceful style of play. Bueno became the first woman ever to win all four Grand Slam double titles in one year.

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CLARICE LISPECTOR (1920 – 1977)

Clarice Lispector was a Brazilian writer acclaimed internationally for her innovative novels and short stories. The American writer Benjamin Moser describes Lispector as the most important Jewish writer in the world since Kafka.

“When I haven’t looked at myself for some time, I almost forget that I am human, I tend to forget my past, and I find myself with the same deliverance from purpose and conscience as something that is barely alive. I am also surprised to find as I gaze into the pale mirror with open eyes that there is so much in me beyond what is known, so much that remains ever silent.”