Meet the community: Catarina Rodrigues
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Shall we meet more of our community members? This month, let us introduce you to Catarina, our content lead and creator for AI Playground guides.
AIxD: Hi Catarina, super excited to interview you this month! I have been enjoying a lot of the content you have been sharing at AIxDesign. For our audience, could you tell a bit about yourself? What do you feel passionate about and what aspired you to do what you are doing right now?
Catarina: I’m a London-based digital designer with a great interest in generative visuals, mixed realities, and the human psyche.
Originally from a small town in the north of Portugal, I moved to England 8 years ago. Before the big move, I was certain that I would work in the biomedical field. I studied one year of biomedical sciences and realized that it was never intended for me — so I then decided to pursue what has always been my biggest passion: film.
After graduating, I was determined to work as a cinematographer during my career in film. I worked as a freelance photographer for big companies but soon realized how limited the photography medium could be if I stuck to the same old ways of working.
I became fascinated with the world of creative coding and interactive technologies, which led me to a master’s degree in Computational Arts. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to expand my creative practice and exhibit projects publicly. The world of design came very spontaneously to me as nowadays I work full-time as a digital designer and also freelance on other design & tech projects.
I’m a firm believer that it’s totally okay to change paths, as I’m now able to look back and see how all of these experiences have shaped the work I currently do.
AIxD: I really admire how fearlessly you have been pursuing your passion. Are you currently working on any projects? 🖋
Catarina: I’m collaborating with inspiring people in the holistic field using intuitive design and creating interactive live visuals for their events. These collaborations help give a bigger purpose to what I do in my specific field.
AIxD: Since you have been our content lead, I am curious what do you find interesting in the AIxDesign crossover? 💾
Catarina: As the AIxDesign crossover becomes more widely accessible, I’m excited to see what the future will bring to art-making, especially filmmaking. I find it exhilarating to learn about new tools/software and hear about how other designers and artists are expanding their creative practice with these tools.
AIxD: When you are working in the field of creative technologies, is there any tools or methods that intrigue you currently?
Catarina: I’ve recently been reading into applying Jungian archetypes to my design work and how ancestral wisdom (I like to call it AI — ancestral intelligence) can influence the reasons behind why we design. I’m excited to find ways to weave the old and the new beyond the human-machine-future ideology.
AIxD: Ancestral Intelligence! How fascinating! To close our chat, is there any books, authors, or artists you would like to share with us? 📚
Catarina: I seem to always go back to Be Here Now by one of my main references, Ram Dass. It is fascinating and insightful, I find its visual journey a source of inspiration. The fact that it can look a bit chaotic ironically brings a sense of calm as you follow the path the book takes you on. It might not be for everyone, but I still find it one of the most beautiful books.
AIxD: Well thank you so much for the recommendation and thank you for taking the time for the chat! Can’t wait for the future projects that you will be working on🌸
To learn more about Catarina and her works:
Website: https://catarinarodrigues.co.uk/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/catariinaarodrigues/
About AIxDesign
AIxDesign is a place to unite practitioners and evolve practices at the intersection of AI/ML and design. We are currently organizing monthly virtual events, sharing content, exploring collaborative projects, and developing event programs.
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