When it comes to being humorous and straightforward at the same time, Portugal-based graphic designer and illustrator Rita Gomes a.k.a Wasted Rita knows it right.

I know the name rings a bell, we had featured Rita's 'Says Wasted Rita' series on our blog some time ago. Yes... the one with the tongue in the cheek humor.

Rita who has studied in a religious college and is currently residing in Lisbon and describes herself as a "natural agent provocateur, sarcastic as needed and a full-time thinker who must write about life, human behaviors and play with words to keep breathing."

Apart from designing and illustrating, Rita maintains a blog where she shares all her latest works and updates. Rita also loves to travel and has exhibited her work in Paris, London, Berlin, Bochum, throughout Portugal. Her work has been featured in many websites, several magazines and books. She has also worked as an freelancer for different brands like Ginza Magazine, Doolittle Mag, Hurley, Samsung, Delta and Diário Económico.

To know more about the Rita we got in touch with her and here is what she has to say about her and her work:

Happy reading!

1. Rita, why don't you introduce yourself to our readers.

First of all I'd say I am a human being. Then I'd probably start by quickly elucidate that I am a graphic designer who always preferred cheap paper and black ink to computers or Adobe software. That said, I would add that I mention that I draw in a very spontaneous and careless way, and write in a very direct and crude manner. After that, I might have explained that I am an observer and a full-time thinker, and by that I mean being in constant search of new feelings, attitudes or theories on human beings. I'd also feel the necessity to settle provoking as my most precious and natural effortless activity, right after breathing, since I was born. To sum up, I would throw out some biographical facts: 25 years old, female, conceived in New Jersey, born and raised in Porto, living in Lisbon.

If after this your readers wouldn't feel clarified enough yet, I would introduce my work like I usually do, by saying: just go visit my website and take your own conclusions.



Life. Probably my way of saying that I live and learn every day: a subconsciously self-defense by attacking technique.

If I were 10 years old, I would respond veterinarian. From 15 to 21, I would say vocalist on a punk band. Nowadays, besides art, and actually being part of my 'things I have to try before I die' list: stand-up comedian, phone sex operator, partygoer, roadie and (the most picky and selective) GFE. But, most likely I would be a sociologist.




Listing 'favorite things' is probably one of the worse things someone can ask me to do, I'm sorry I forgot to mention when listing my biographical facts. But because I can smell your cuteness from here and the sun is shining outside, here we go. Favorite bands; from Black Flag to TLC, from Bikini Kill to Rihanna, adding any kind of – what I like to call – wise punk, hardcore and indie music. Anything that makes my heart skip a beat. In my mind there's no such thing as favorite era, in present era I can choose which one I am in the mood for. And my mood swings. Fast.

4. Tell us about the favorite and cheeky artwork that you have created.

90% of my artworks are cheeky and I enjoy creating 100% of my artworks. So, let's take the only 10% not-cheeky-artworks out of it – soft sided and tender ones – which makes the other 90% the correct answer to your question.



Having the gift of naturally playing with words and its meanings.

6. Apart from living in Porto you have visited several other cities. How has that traveling experience shaped your thinking?

Traveling is the most effective way to experience the inexperienced, learn and shape your mind, besides breakups and overall crappy life situations. I feel that I've learned more this entire year, that I've been in constant jump from one place to another, than in my previous total 24 years. Of course I didn't, but you being exposed to new people, places, cultures and mentalities challenges all your senses, putting you through an entire bunch of new emotions and ideas, which gives you new perspectives to shape your brain.

7. What other cities and parts of the world do you plan to travel? Where all have you been invited to exhibit?

I have all those cliché traveling plans like New York, California, anywhere in Australia, Tokyo and bla bla bla. Mostly because I've been traveling all round Europe and somehow it is starting to feel like the differences from one country to another are slight and not as challenging as it used to be. I have recently been to Beijing and Hainan (south China) and it was a major cultural slap, specially the second one. So please, get in touch for an exhibition in your town, if you feel like I can be sensorially slapped in the face every time I am wandering on the street. Overall, traveling anywhere and regularly is the most cohesive and certain plan I have in my life, besides inevitable death.

In the last to years I've exhibited in Berlin, Bochum, London, Paris, Zagreb, Ljubljana, Barcelona, all around Portugal and have been to Hasselt for a public speaking graphic design festival - Beyonderground.

8. Is the real Wasted Rita a cold hearted b!#@% or is she a sassy sweet person?

C'mon. I'm, obviously, sweeter than sugar and sassier than Cyrus.


'Creative monster', 'post-modern hipster' and 'writer' make the top 3 compliments of this week.

10. Tell our readers what advice you would have for budding and aspiring artists.

Be the Beyoncé you wish to see in this world.




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