Starting to draw at a young age, and becoming a pupil of Carlos Reis, she did not follow any academic training.

While in Paris she achieved success with costumes designed for Corina Freire, the Portuguese actress and singer, who wore them in a show performed with Maurice Chevalier.

Her costumes became famous and for the rest of the 1920s and the 1930s she continued to make an important contribution to the design of shows, including ballet and opera.

In January 1932, she opened the Salão dos Artistas Criadores (Salon of Creative Artists), together with the sculptors Maria José Dias da Câmara and Ana de Gonta Colaço, which aimed to display only stylistically original works.

Leading on from stage designs she started to do murals, including for the Casino Estoril in 1935 and for the Portuguese World Exhibition held in 1940 in Belém near Lisbon.