She stands with her back to us. Silent. As if she’s just crossed
through the forest and, before disappearing for good, paused
for a moment to feel the world behind her. Amanda
Medeiros’s jaguar doesn’t need to face us to pierce through
us. Her presence fills the canvas like a whisper of power—a
quiet, breathing warning. She doesn’t roar; she resonates.
Our cover is a painting that watches without eyes, speaks
without words, and demands care even as it commands
respect. And Amanda Medeiros—known for her masterful,
visceral portraits of human faces—now finds a new territory
of expression in the animal kingdom.
The artist confesses that the most unforgettable moment in
creating this piece was immersing herself in the details of the
fur: “Each glint of light, each dark spot over golden tones—it
all made me feel one with the figure.” And that’s exactly what
her painting delivers: an intimate fusion between artist and
animal, as if, through the jaguar, Amanda discovered a new
way of speaking about herself—and about Brazil.
In the image of the jaguar, she saw more than a national
icon. She saw strength wrapped in vulnerability, the symbol of
a forest under threat yet still towering. She saw the tension
between beauty and danger, between sovereignty and
fragility. She saw a reflection of the Amazon itself—and
perhaps, of our entire identity.