Rita Correia was born and raised in São Paulo, SP, Brazil. She obtained her Bachelor's degree from the Business School and later pursued a Postgraduate degree in Journalism. Her journey in visual arts began in Brazil in 2017 when she participated in the panel called “The sky still blue and you know it” by the renowned artist Yoko Ono at the Tomie Ohtake Institute in São Paulo. The panel portrayed women and their stories about abusive relationships.
She moved to NYC in 2017.
In New York in 2019, she attended a Photojournalism workshop instructed by James Estrin, the editor of The New York Times, at the Craig Newmark School of Journalism, CUNY.
Since then, Correia’s work has been focused on highlighting the experiences of marginalized communities, capturing moments from protests such as "He Will Not Divide Us," "Women's March 2017," "BLM 2020," and "Election Day 2021."
One of her photographs from the BLM series was a finalist in the Black & White LensCulture Awards in 2020.
In 2021, she released a zine book titled "Everything is Migrating," featuring the work of 25 artists, each sharing their unique perspectives on the immigrant experience in the USA.
In 2022, Rita joined the part-time online Visual Storytelling Intensive Program at ICP, receiving her certificate in May of 2023.
In March 2023, in Brazil, she participated in a vernissage at Sicredi, Indaiatuba, SP, showcasing her photographs with a group of women artists centered around the celebration of women.
In April of the same year, Rita Correia was accepted as a full-time student at the International Center of Photography (ICP), where she was awarded a partial scholarship for the Documentary and Visual Journalism Program. This opportunity has allowed her to further enhance her visual skills, exploring the world of documentary and photojournalism.
Currently, Correia is working on her ongoing project, A Deriva (Adrift), which focuses on the lives of Brazilian Women immigrants in the USA, particularly in NYC. A significant part of her research involves the experiences of those particular women, which promise to be a major component of one of her future projects.
In May of 2024, she received her certificate in Documentary and Visual Journalism and accomplished a milestone in her career.