Nele Pede, known by the pseudonym Terremoto, was born in Belgium in 1968 and spent her childhood with her grandmother, a seamstress with a poetic sense of folkloric life. Her grandmother's influence was fundamental in shaping Nele’s creativity, inspiring her to craft personalized bags, which became a celebration of the senses and a reflection of the identity of the person who carried them.
After studying Illustration at the Saint Luke School of Art in Ghent, she moved to New York in search of new experiences and artistic expression. The contact with diverse cultures transformed her worldview, allowing her to see her own roots from a different perspective. In this vibrant environment, the creation of personalized bags became a way to understand and represent the city's inhabitants.
Later, following love, she arrived in Mexico, where she began working with indigenous weaving communities. She designed textiles that, thanks to the artisans' unique interpretation, acquired a new dimension, transforming from two-dimensional to three-dimensional in surprising ways. These experiences led her to reflect on her home country and her place in the world.
Her first daughter was born in the Chiapas jungle, Mexico, a precious memory she carried with her when she decided to return to Europe. She first stopped in Barcelona before finding a farmhouse among vineyards, where she reconnected with her roots through illustration.
For years, she devoted 90% of her time to motherhood and the remaining 10% to experimenting with different materials, merging her experiences to connect the past with the present and envision a future full of colours. Now that all her little birds have flown the nest, she is once again dedicating 100% of her time to her multifaceted art.
Artistic and Professional Career
Nele Pede's work has been shaped not so much by academic degrees, but by experience, working across various creative fields:
Collaboration with indigenous weavers in Mexico, exploring traditional techniques and innovating in textile design.
Founder of the brand Terremotobags, creating personalized bags that tell stories through materials and design.
Founder of a free education school, where she taught art to children and young people.
Costume design theatre, participating in various productions.
Creation of artistic murals in public and cultural spaces.
Graphic design for music albums and illustration for books.
Art direction and scenography for music videos (Escarteen Sisters) and musicians.
Founder of the Batecs festival in Font-rubí, a meeting space for art and community.
Exploration of gastronomy as an artistic expression, creating dishes that combine aesthetics and flavour.
Intergenerational projects, working with the grandmothers of the village and the young people from the Oriol Badia center.
Illustration of children's books, such as Retall de cel by Agnès Esquirol and El bosc xiulava, written by Titin.
Design of the book Les escoles expliquen Mediona, an educational and cultural initiative.
Nele Pede’s art is inseparable from her life—a continuous creative journey where every experience, culture, and technique transforms into a new form of expression.