Project Context
São Paulo’s State Social Development Department (SEDS) leads social policies and programmes across government, including food security, income transfer, and protection for vulnerable groups. With around 46 million residents, more than Canada’s population, communication is essential to show people the rights and support available to them.
Refugees welcomed in the state of São Paulo often arrive with fragile networks and little knowledge of local systems. SEDS works through public policies and services that not only offer care and protection but also make their presence and rights visible, supporting their integration into society.
As the lead designer, working closely with the head of marketing and communication, I helped bring these stories to the broader public. As part of an integrated effort combining culture and social support, I created the visual identity and materials for a photographic exhibition featuring refugees living in São Paulo.
Refugees welcomed in the state of São Paulo often arrive with fragile networks and little knowledge of local systems. SEDS works through public policies and services that not only offer care and protection but also make their presence and rights visible, supporting their integration into society.
As the lead designer, working closely with the head of marketing and communication, I helped bring these stories to the broader public. As part of an integrated effort combining culture and social support, I created the visual identity and materials for a photographic exhibition featuring refugees living in São Paulo.
Eduardo Tarran
Designing for Refugee Visibility
Photographers Eduardo Tarran and Mário Castello volunteered their time and work to portray African refugees living in São Paulo through Casa de Passagem Terra Nova, creating the series that anchors this exhibition.
Through a detailed photographic review, I contributed to selecting the 26 portraits that now anchor the exhibition. As a key part of the visual strategy, I designed the identity so the photographs stayed at the centre of every piece, using tailored typography and restrained colour accents to create a clear, cohesive design that works in balance with the images.
Through a detailed photographic review, I contributed to selecting the 26 portraits that now anchor the exhibition. As a key part of the visual strategy, I designed the identity so the photographs stayed at the centre of every piece, using tailored typography and restrained colour accents to create a clear, cohesive design that works in balance with the images.
Across all materials, the goal was to signal an exhibition worth entering. By keeping the design quiet and precise, the work guided people in while the portraits and stories carried the experience.
Cultural Setting
The exhibition first opened at the Memorial da América Latina in São Paulo, one of Brazil’s most important cultural complexes. Designed by Oscar Niemeyer as a monument to Latin American integration, the Memorial brings together art, architecture, politics, and public life in a large open space that welcomes diverse audiences.
memorial.org.br/espacos/biblioteca-latino-americana
Inside the Memorial, the portraits were shown at the Biblioteca Latino-Americana Victor Civita, a reference library dedicated to Latin American culture, politics, and history. Displaying the work in this exhibition space, surrounded by research and memory, reinforced the idea of refugees as part of the region’s cultural and social fabric.
memorial.org.br/espacos/biblioteca-latino-americana
Reach and Impact
The exhibition took refugee stories from a shelter into major public and academic spaces, giving them visibility beyond official reports and statistics. By connecting portraits, cultural institutions, and social policy, the project strengthened SEDS’s role as a guardian of rights and showed how design can turn a sensitive theme into clear, public-facing communication.