About

JOYCE CARREIRA
Sculptor | Painter | Educator
Pretoria, South Africa

Biography

Born and raised in Pretoria, South Africa, Joyce Carreira’s passion for the arts was evident from a young age. After matriculating from the renowned Pro Arte High School in 1990, she went on to study Fine Arts at the University of Pretoria, specializing in sculpture.

Joyce holds degrees in both Fine Arts and Specialised Education. Her artistic journey has been enriched by extensive travel throughout Europe and Africa, deepening her appreciation for cultural expression and the sculptural form.

Beginning her professional career as an art educator, Joyce taught at Pro Arte High School and the National School of the Arts before pursuing her own art practice full-time — first as a painter in 2003 and later as a full-time sculptor in 2015.

Her multidisciplinary practice includes sculpture, painting, printmaking, and drawing, though her central passion lies in exploring the human form — its strength, grace, and spirit. Through the transformative processes of fire and metal, Joyce creates sculptural works that are both bold and deeply personal, celebrating the timeless relationship between body and soul, structure and emotion.

She has attended master classes in figurative sculpture in Rome, Crete, and Florence under the mentorship of world-renowned sculptors, refining her technical and expressive skills.

Deeply committed to sharing knowledge, Joyce believes that teaching is both a privilege and a duty, an extension of her creative practice.

Joyce has participated in numerous exhibitions nationwide, both solo and group projects.

Statement

“Being a natural storyteller by heart my work relays the intersection between body and spirit, structure and emotion. Through the language of form and material, I seek to celebrate the resilience and beauty of the human spirit — translating timeless human experiences into sculptural expression.”