ARTIST, ARCHITECT AND INTERIOR DESIGNER ANA D'CASTRO

INVITES US INTO THE COLOURFUL AND CHARACTERFUL FAMILY HOME SHE HAS CREATED IN DUBAI

Ana D’Castro’s world has always been bursting with colour. “I grew up surrounded by art, because my grandfather was an artist, and so painting, making sculptures and experimenting with all sorts of materials has always come naturally,” she explains at her gorgeous gallery-like home in Dubai.

Determined and dynamic, Ana studied architecture in her native Portugal, spending her exchange year in the favelas of Río de Janeiro. At just 22, she married the love of her life, Bruno Sousa, and took off to work on design projects for major museums around the world, including London’s Tate Modern.

Finally, the couple decided to put down roots in Dubai. In the 12 years since, multitalented Ana has become a mum of three, set up her own studio and made a name for herself as an avant-garde visual artist.

Naturally, a favourite among Ana’s many projects is her family’s home, a traditional Arabic villa that she’s turned into a minimalist heaven, perfect to house her creations.

“My home is like my own personal canvas, where I can manoeuvre and play with all the elements inside,” she enthuses.

And thanks to her free-spirited, lighthearted approach to raising her children — Mia, six, Leah, four and three-year-old Kai — they’re very much in on the fun.

Tell us about the path that led you here, Ana… Well, after university, I moved to Switzerland. There, I worked for the renowned studio Herzog & De Meuron, which meant travelling internationally. Afterwards, I lived in São Paulo and then Singapore, before arriving here in Dubai. It’s been a privilege to participate in such a diverse range of cultures, in different corners of the world, and it has done a lot to shape my vision.