In 1900 she exhibited outside of Portugal for the first time, presenting four works at the Paris Universal Exhibition. In 1901, the Portuguese "Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes" (National Society of Fine Arts) was formed and Santos Braga immediately joined and showed at its exhibitions, winning awards and receiving positive criticism. By this time many of her paintings were of female nudes. José Malhoa began to hold solo exhibitions, while also including works by some of his disciples, including those of Santos Braga. In 1908, she exhibited in Rio de Janeiro and held her own first solo exhibition in Lisbon, with oil paintings and other works in pastel and charcoal. It was from this time that she began to be considered an "artist" rather than just an "amateur". In 1909, her nudes exhibited at the 7th exhibition of the "Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes" attracted considerable attention and some negative criticism, which eventually led to her ceasing to exhibit with the Society. In 1912 she took a very large nude painting of an opium smoker to the National Fine Arts Exhibition in Madrid and in 1915 she exhibited at the Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco. In 1922 and 1924 she competed in international competitions in New York City and Rio de Janeiro.