Vanda Balinha was born in Viana do Castelo, Portugal, since an early age showed interest in the arts which eventually led to her graduating in fashion design at UBI.

Later, she joined the ERASMUS project that took place in Istanbul, Turkey and, in 2015, volunteered with the European Voluntary Service in Cordoba, Spain, where she developed cultural and sports related activities with children. All these experiences fed an increasing curiosity for different cultural backgrounds.

Vanda decided to go back to her studies, in 2018, this time at IPCA with a specialization in illustration and animation. While studying, she co-founded Sargaçod’Arte, an organization focused on developing art events and exhibitions, mainly in the North of Portugal.

Thirsty for challenges, Balinha decided to travel and explore the nature in herself and the world around, gaining experience in different areas, namely public relations, curation, fashion design and illustration. Currently, Vanda works as an illustrator, muralist, event planner and handpoke tattoo artist.