Weaving together memory, identity and art from Brazil to Sandy Springs.
Sandy Springs-based artist Carol Santos’ artworks bridge continents and generations, offering viewers an intimate lens into her family’s history, and, perhaps, into their own stories. Born in Campinas, Brazil, Santos is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores themes of memory, identity and the loss of cultural narratives through generations.
Santos’ artistic journey began early in Brazil, where she attended art school as a child from 8 to 15 years old. Despite her creative inclinations, she initially pursued a more traditional path, earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communication and marketing. After moving to the United States in 1999 with her high school sweetheart and now-husband Leandro, she eventually found herself in Georgia, raising three children while working in corporate marketing.
The turning point came after the birth of her third child eight years ago. “I joked that I was a single mom with a boyfriend,” she says, referencing her husband’s weekly travel schedule. “I realized it was time to do something for me.” That “something” led her back to the canvas and into a rigorous Master of Fine Arts program for painting at the Savannah College of Art and Design, from which she graduated in 2023.
Today, Santos works out of her home studio and teaches painting at the Abernathy Arts Center and Kennesaw State University. Her practice encompasses painting, sculpture, textiles and installations, often inspired by her Brazilian upbringing and the contrasts her children experience growing up in the U.S. “My work is about the nostalgia of what I had that I can’t give them,” she says. “I try to preserve those memories in a way that others can connect with, too.”
That effort is evident in works like her Poetry in the Sky installation that was featured at The Glass House museum in Brazil. A collaboration with her father, it replicates the handmade kites of her childhood with over 150 of them suspended in air, echoing innocence and shared community. Many paintings of Santos’ blend coffee and paint, a nod to Brazilian café culture. Another piece features a large beet sculpture that accompanies a letter she wrote and recorded her daughter reading that reflects on generational loss, miscarriage and unspoken trauma. “When people come to me crying after seeing it, I know the work is doing what it’s meant to do: tell them they’re not alone,” she says.
Inspired by her paternal grandmother who used to make rugs out of rags, during the pandemic, Santos began weaving a rag rug that turned into a community project that will continue to grow for years. Made from old baby clothes, linens, curtains and more, the giant rug was worked on by many hands, from friends to college students. “Every little fabric tells a story,” she says of the project that will continue to grow. “It’s a good reminder that we’re all interconnected as people, no matter where we come from.”
Beyond her studio, Santos plays a vital role in the local art community. She serves on the board of Art Sandy Springs, where she is a driving force helping to implement new community initiatives. She also curates shows for the Gallery at City Springs and The Gallery at Abernathy. Her marketing background, she says, helps navigate the complexities of arts administration.
Still, Santos remains grounded in what drives her: storytelling, connection and quiet persistence.“If I can bring art into someone’s life or inspire a student, then I feel so proud.”
carolsantosarts.com
@carolatlantaart
