Joana Mendes(1988) was born in Lisbon and from an early age was influenced by art by her father José Mendes, who is a painter.
Since then painting has has a great influence in her life and work, resulting in her graduation from ETIC as a Multimedia Technician, and later on from Évora University as a Visual Arts; Multimedia major.
While in etic studying Multimedia, participate in several creative workshops named, Fanzine e BD with Marcos Farrajota (BR) (Chilli Com Carne), Create Your Logo with Nuno Ribeiro(PT), Action Script and NO NAME where she had her first contact with performance working with Ana Rita Barata,(PT) choreographer; Carlos Zíngaro(PT), musician; Pedro Santana(PT), VJ; Miguel Moreira(PT), producer.
In 2007 makes some demonstrations about aerosol painting and graffiti culture in S. João da Talha Garden and in Quinta de S. José.
In the same year creates in parcery with 3 other artists a mural about recycling for the company Valorsul, in S. João da Talha's Ecologic garden.
Later, while studying in Évora, collaborates in different artistic projects:
In a performance with presentation in Évora In 2011 collaborates with Elliot Mercer(USA), performer, in “Escrita na paisagem” festival (Évora) presented in St. Vicente's (Évora ) e and 16th Cerveira bienal(V.N. Cerveira) with the piece “10 myths”, in the same year, participates in Márcio Pereira's (PT) performance “...E se as paredes fossem de carne?” presented na 16º Bienal de Cerveira. Works as VJ in Márcio Pereira 's performance POST IT (Whatever it means), with 3 presentations in St. Vicente (Évora) e critics by José Rodrigues dos Santos and Soraia Simões (RDB). with a short exhibition perccurse ,participates in a collective exhibition in Espirito Santo College in Évora, named “Olhar de Olhos Fechados os Sonhos Chocolate Abertos no Olhar” in 2010, where she did the making off video too.
In 2013 has some pieces in two collective exhibitions in Quinta de S. José, Sacavém.
In 2014 collaborate with 2 artists in a 3 day art workshop for kids, in Semana Serrana, project ongoing since 2013. Still in 2014, work with Artelier? teatro de rua, on video mapping projects, works with Valter Nogueira, as producer assistance in performance "O Hospede e o Hospedeiro - 1º acto", presented in Évora, and has a solo multimedia exhibition in Caldas Late night, presented in "casa dos barcos".
In August of 2014 collaborated in the street theatre presentation of "1000 milhões de megafones" (1000 million megaphones), presented in BONS SONS Festival (PT) with André Pinto (Sound Artist), Marco Silva (drummer) and Gonçalo Mendes (Designer)