I come from island folk and travelers. I have Azorean blood flowing through my veins salted with the culture of the Big Island and itchy feet that yearns for a world bigger than myself. I grew up eating avocados ripened in a paper bag in the back of a kitchen cabinet, salty mangoes that dripped juice down our wrists over the kitchen sink and Portuguese sopas after carrying the train of my cousin’s cape in the Holy Ghost Festa parade.
My hair usually smells of cinnamon and chocolate and fresh herbs from my garden and I almost always have French hip hop playing. Or Beyonce. I love to collaborate and to create images in tandem. My ideas, your ideas, the stylists’ ideas, is my idea of a good time. My obsession with vibrant colors is only equaled with my obsession with light and shadows. I find food to be as sexy and beautiful and interesting as I find people to be. Be it a simple roast chicken or fun chocolate dumplings (you heard me right) or a gorgeous hair stylist with eyes that make your knees quiver. I love to coerce the deliciousness and sexiness out of every subject with collaboration, color and light. I am unbelievably curious about people and their worlds (Sometimes to my detriment. How could I know they were swingers???).
I would love to meet and have a spicy snack and hear your story. I know just the place.
Dina drives a 1995 Mercedes named Zelda and lives and gardens in Portland, OR with her husband and very demanding cat.
Je parle un peu français.
dina@dinaavila.com
503-333-7800
@dinaravila
@speakeasyclubpdx
Member:
Focus on Women
Wonderful Machine
The Luupe
Winner of the 2016 James Beard Media Award for Visual Storytelling
Clients Include:
Washington Post / NY Times / KANN + SOUSÒL /Goldbelly / Nike / Godfrey Dadich / American Express / Chronicle Books / Jupiter Hotel / The Wall Street Journal / Conde Nast Traveler / Them / Hestan Commercial / Hestan Indoor / Vogue Japan / REI / Bon Appetit Magazine / Sasquatch Publishing /Elle a Table Japan / Playboy / Delicious Magazine Australia / Architectural Digest / AirBnB / Brazi Bites / Travel and Leisure / Lonny Magazine / Green Gables Design / Star Chefs / Abigail Hall / Bullard Restaurant / Storey Publishing / Sockeye Agency / Grady Britton Agency / Virgin Australia Voyager Magazine / Cocktail Kingdom / Immaculate Space / Qantas Airlines Magazine / Basic American Foods / Floyd Detroit / Surface Magazine / Foris Vineyards / Eater PDX / Another Escape Magazine UK / Architectural Digest / Landry's Restaurants / House Beautiful / Men's Journal / NV Portland / AIGA / Beast / SilverKris Magazine / Osmose Design / Vegetarian Times / Eater / Fine Cooking / Luxe Magazine / Better Homes and Gardens / Popeye Magazine Japan / Imbibe Magazine / True Portland: The Unofficial Guide for Creative People Japan / ChefStable Group / Art Culinaire / and many others.