The AIDS 2026 visual identity has been developed using artwork created by Auá Mendes – a trans woman and Indigenous of the Mura People.
About the artwork
The illustration for AIDS 2026 is inspired by the fusion of ancestral knowledge and contemporary struggle, reflecting collective resilience through the vibrant and symbolic art of Auá Mendes. The Tigaití snake, represented with patterns that mix molecules of antiretroviral drugs and roots of Amazonian medicinal plants, personifies transformation and healing – a metaphor for scientific advances and the connection with nature. The muraquitãs, Indigenous frog-shaped amulets, are arranged in the form of a chain or shield, symbolizing community protection and the unity needed to face the epidemic.
These elements explore the idea that the response to HIV must integrate technology, tradition and solidarity, honouring the stories of those who came before and strengthening those who build the future.
The artwork proposes that healing goes beyond the physical: it is communal, cultural and ancestral. By incorporating words in Indigenous languages (such as Pirarrã) and references to Amazonian mythology, the illustration highlights the importance of listening to traditional peoples and fighting stigma with empathy. The snake that is reborn and the amulets that protect reinforce that the response to HIV is continuous, but collective – a dance between memory and innovation.
About Auá Mendes
Auá Mendes – trans woman, Indigenous of the Mura People, graphic designer, illustrator, graffiti artist, muralist and art educator – was born in Manaus in the Amazonas in 1999 and has lived in São Paulo since 2020. She has developed projects for Shell, Banco do Brasil, Converse Br, Tok Stok, Natura, Hersheys, Google Brasil, Nike, Top Trends, Nu Bank, Feira Preta, Tomie Ohtake, PerifaCON, Vivo, MAM, Instituto Goeth Indonesia and others.
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aua___art/
Website: https://www.behance.net/auamendes/