Letycia Soares Nua 【BEST · 2025】
The Art of Vulnerability
Letycia Soares was a Brazilian artist known for her captivating and emotive paintings. Her work often explored the human condition, delving into themes of intimacy, vulnerability, and self-discovery.
One day, Letycia decided to embark on a new project that would push her artistic boundaries even further. She wanted to create a piece that embodied the essence of human vulnerability, something that would encourage viewers to reflect on their own experiences and emotions.
Letycia spent weeks preparing for this project, researching and experimenting with different techniques. She finally felt ready to begin, and with a deep breath, she started to work.
As she painted, Letycia found herself becoming increasingly immersed in the process. She lost track of time, and her studio became a sanctuary where she could express herself freely. The artwork began to take shape, and Letycia knew she was creating something special.
The finished piece, titled "Nua" (which means "naked" in Portuguese), was a stunning representation of the human form. It depicted a person in a vulnerable state, yet radiating a sense of strength and resilience. letycia soares nua
When "Nua" was exhibited at a local gallery, it sparked a profound conversation among art enthusiasts and critics alike. People were drawn to the piece, not just for its aesthetic appeal, but for the emotions it evoked.
Through "Nua," Letycia Soares had created a masterpiece that encouraged viewers to confront their own vulnerabilities and celebrate their humanity.
Letycia Soares Nua – A Portrait of Vision, Resilience, and Impact
— A Creative Tribute (all names, places, and events are imagined for the purpose of this piece unless otherwise noted.)
3. University: From Theory to Practice
In 2010, Letycia won a full‑ride to the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ), enrolling in the Department of Chemical Engineering. The move to the sprawling metropolis of Rio was a cultural shockwave: skyscrapers, samba, and a frenetic pace that made her hometown feel like a distant memory. Yet she thrived. The Art of Vulnerability Letycia Soares was a
4.3. Return to Brazil: Leading Change
Armed with international experience, Letycia returned to Brazil in 2020 as the Director of the “Blue Horizons” program at IBEAR. Under her leadership:
- Funding Growth: She secured a R$ 45 million budget increase, enabling the expansion of restoration projects from four states to twelve.
- Innovation Hub: She launched the “Coastal Innovation Hub” in Recife, a collaborative space where scientists, entrepreneurs, and community leaders co‑developed low‑cost desalination technologies and climate‑smart aquaculture models.
- Public Engagement: Letycia championed the “Ocean Voices” campaign, a series of town‑hall meetings, radio shows, and social‑media storytelling events that amplified the perspectives of coastal residents. The campaign reached an audience of over two million Brazilians and sparked a surge in youth volunteerism.
3. Activism and Community Engagement
Letycia’s artistic practice is inseparable from her activism. She co‑founded the nonprofit organization Raízes Vivas, which works to document and disseminate oral histories of quilombola and indigenous elders through multimedia projects. The organization’s flagship initiative, Vozes do Rio, pairs community storytellers with university students, creating podcasts that are now broadcast on public radio stations across the Northeast.
In addition to her work with Raízes Vivas, Letycia has been a vocal participant in environmental protests, particularly those opposing large‑scale hydroelectric projects that threaten riverine ecosystems. Her public speeches often reference her literary work, emphasizing that narrative can galvanize collective action.
2. Formative Years: Education as Liberation
At fourteen, Letycia earned a scholarship to attend the prestigious Colégio Estadual de Vila Velha, the nearest urban high school, a five‑hour bus ride away. The transition was jarring—she went from a community where everyone knew each other’s grandparents to a bustling campus filled with students from affluent backgrounds. Yet, rather than feel out of place, she used the cultural shock as fuel for learning.
She excelled in the sciences, particularly chemistry, where she saw the potential to transform raw natural resources into solutions for everyday life. Simultaneously, she joined the school’s debate club, quickly rising to captain. Her speeches blended factual precision with heartfelt storytelling—a talent that would later become her signature style. Funding Growth: She secured a R$ 45 million
During these years, Letycia also discovered activism. In 2009, she led a student‑wide petition demanding the school adopt a recycling program. The initiative succeeded, and the campus installed the first composting bins in the region, a modest but symbolic victory that reinforced her belief that change begins at the grassroots level.
2.1 Early Poetry and Short Stories
Letycia’s first published work appeared in 2017, a chapbook of poems titled “Maré de Silêncios” (Tide of Silences). The collection juxtaposes the rhythmic cadences of coastal life with the quiet suffering of women whose labor remains invisible. Critics praised the book for its lyrical economy and its capacity to “make the unheard audible.”
In the following years, she contributed short stories to several independent literary journals, most notably Canto das Ondas and Vozes do Sertão. Her stories often foreground protagonists who navigate intersecting identities—race, gender, class—within a rapidly urbanizing Brazil. A recurring motif is the tension between migration (both internal and external) and the yearning for rootedness.
6. Personal Life: The Human Behind the Impact
Letycia’s public achievements are complemented by a rich personal life that keeps her grounded. She is an avid samba dancer, a tradition she inherited from her mother, and she often credits the rhythmic discipline of dance for her ability to balance multiple demanding roles.
She is also a mother of two, raising her children, Sofia and Rafael, with a philosophy of “learning by doing.” Weekends are spent in São Joaquim, where she volunteers at her hometown’s community center, teaching basic chemistry experiments to local children.
Her favorite pastime? Stargazing from the rooftop of her Recife apartment, where she reflects on the vastness of the ocean and the cosmos, reminding herself that every small action is a ripple that can reach far beyond the shore.