DVAA Member since 2026

Debora Dias

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About:

Debora Dias is a Portuguese American abstract figurative painter based in Philadelphia. Born in Lisbon, Portugal in 1987, she immigrated to the U.S. as a child and turned to art as a way to process her experience growing up in a first-generation immigrant family.

She studied Fine Arts at the University of the Arts in Philadelphia, where she developed her practice in large-scale painting, and later earned a Master’s degree in Art Therapy and Counseling from Drexel University. Alongside her studio practice, she works as an art therapist in private practice and advocates for LGBTQ+ and marginalized communities.

Debora’s work has been exhibited in numerous Philadelphia galleries and venues. Her painting 'Between Worlds' was selected for the Woodmere Museum’s 80th Juried Exhibition in 2022, and in 2024 she exhibited at Dupree Gallery in Lambertville, NJ. Most recently in 2025, Debora was part of group exhibition Philadelphia artists, showcasing her paintings at the Philadelphia Magic Gardens as well as A Community Art Gallery at Marriott Hotel, Philadelphia, PA. Her work is also held in multiple private collections.

Artist Statement:

Debora Dias’ work explores the human figure as a vessel for emotion, connection, and story. She is drawn to the balance between vulnerability and strength in the human spirit. Her paintings intertwine abstract body forms with vibrant color, flowing linework, and symbols drawn from nature—branches, water, orbs, and stairways—that suggest cycles of growth, transformation, and memory. Figures often merge with their surroundings, dissolving into layered spaces that feel both interior and exterior, intimate and expansive. Through this fusion of anatomy, abstraction, and natural imagery, Debora creates dynamic works that invite viewers to find their own meaning and emotional resonance to each piece.