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On view:
Espelho Meu
(solo show)
Sep 12 - Oct 12 2024
Maus Hábitos
Porto, Portugal
Simão Martinez (Lisbon, 1993) is an artist based in Lisbon, Portugal. Since 2017, he has exhibited regularly across Europe, and his work is held in various private and institutional collections, including museums and academic faculties. His work has also been featured in over a dozen catalogs.
Simão’s practice spans printmaking (stone lithography and chalcography), painting, drawing, ceramics, and mixed media. His drawing and printmaking explore fleeting personal moments—memories of love, trauma, and altered mental states such as dissociation—juxtaposed with broader historical continuity. In this work, Simão reflects on the collision between our contemporary, personal experiences and the unfathomable scale of human history.
His practice acknowledges the universality of the human condition: we are both individuals grappling with personal trauma and living metonymies of humanity, connected to the collective struggles of others. Amid increasing alienation fueled by abstract, technological existence, his work seeks specificity in human experience, exploring how personal narratives resonate on a universal level. By striving for atemporality, Simão aims to create art that speaks across time, hoping it will retain an essence of humanity far into the future, much like the works of artists throughout history. His practice is marked by a critical stance towards contemporary culture, coupled with a transgressive, DIY ethos—an attitude reminiscent of punk, even if calling it so is an irony in itself.
In his more recent works, Simão employs materials like clay, gesso, encaustic, and oil paint, engaging with forms rooted in the earliest art-making traditions—from household items to decorative objects and funerary art. These materials carry with them a sense of abundance, humbleness, and historical weight, sharply contrasting with the modern imagery he produces. Through processes that involve warping, shaping, and often violent gestures inflicted upon the materials, he creates non-neutral surfaces that resemble fragments or remnants. This approach foregrounds the fragility and impermanence of the materials, mirroring his own reflections on human vulnerability and his experiences with mental illness. His work evokes a tension between the material’s inherent fragility and the persistent human drive to create meaning.
Simão’s practice draws on a wide range of influences, including thinkers such as Hal Foster and Chogyam Trungpa. In particular, Trungpa’s concept of Dharma Art, which stresses the non-duality between life and art, deeply informs his work. For Simão, being an artist and being human are not separate acts—both require a shared vulnerability. His work seeks to expose the "real" in art, where there is no separation between experience and expression, between the person and the artist. Balancing a critique of traditional representation with an intense focus on material presence, Simão’s work navigates the tension between the immediacy of the present and the long arc of art history. It questions enduring narratives while embracing the fragility that is central to both art and life, offering a meditation on the fractured, often unstable nature of being human.
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Between Pasts
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Fugue
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Fieldwork
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Procession
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Self-Misportraits
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Tower
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Glass House
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Simão Martinez (Lisbon, 1993) is an artist based in Lisbon, Portugal. He has been exhibiting regularly since 2017, both in Portugal and abroad (France, Spain, Poland and the UK), and his work can be found in both private and institutional collections in Portugal, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. His works have also been published in over a dozen catalogs (see "Publications").His choice of media encompasses printmaking (stone lithography & chalchography), painting and drawing, and he works towards harmonizing the profound material mastery that their traditions have honed throughout history, both in Western and Eastern approaches, with the conceptual freedom of contemporary times.Although his work avoids values such as urgency and disruptiveness, it is nonetheless the product of exposure to contemporary culture. In between his broad, often dissociative scope of subject matter and formal qualities, lies a central focus on creating objects that evade "contemporaryness", in a dialogue that does not privilege their own temporal context, but rather their inherent phenomenological and material character, and the somewhat atemporal state art can exist in.
Simão Martinez (Lisbon, 1993) is an artist based in Lisbon, Portugal. He has been exhibiting regularly since 2017, both in Portugal and abroad (France, Spain, Poland and the UK), and his work can be found in both private and institutional collections in Portugal, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. His works have also been published in over a dozen catalogs (see "Publications").His choice of media encompasses printmaking (stone lithography & chalchography), painting and drawing, and he works towards harmonizing the profound material mastery that their traditions have honed throughout history, both in Western and Eastern approaches, with the conceptual freedom of contemporary times.Although his work avoids values such as urgency and disruptiveness, it is nonetheless the product of exposure to contemporary culture. In between his broad, often dissociative scope of subject matter and formal qualities, lies a central focus on creating objects that evade "contemporaryness", in a dialogue that does not privilege their own temporal context, but rather their inherent phenomenological and material character, and the somewhat atemporal state art can exist in.
Simão Martinez (Lisbon, 1993) is an artist based in Lisbon, Portugal. He has been exhibiting regularly since 2017, both in Portugal and abroad (France, Spain, Poland and the UK), and his work can be found in both private and institutional collections in Portugal, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. His works have also been published in over a dozen catalogs (see "Publications").His choice of media encompasses printmaking (stone lithography & chalchography), painting and drawing, and he works towards harmonizing the profound material mastery that their traditions have honed throughout history, both in Western and Eastern approaches, with the conceptual freedom of contemporary times.Although his work avoids values such as urgency and disruptiveness, it is nonetheless the product of exposure to contemporary culture. In between his broad, often dissociative scope of subject matter and formal qualities, lies a central focus on creating objects that evade "contemporaryness", in a dialogue that does not privilege their own temporal context, but rather their inherent phenomenological and material character, and the somewhat atemporal state art can exist in.
Simão Martinez (Lisbon, 1993) is an artist based in Lisbon, Portugal. He has been exhibiting regularly since 2017, both in Portugal and abroad (France, Spain, Poland and the UK), and his work can be found in both private and institutional collections in Portugal, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. His works have also been published in over a dozen catalogs (see "Publications").His choice of media encompasses printmaking (stone lithography & chalchography), painting and drawing, and he works towards harmonizing the profound material mastery that their traditions have honed throughout history, both in Western and Eastern approaches, with the conceptual freedom of contemporary times.Although his work avoids values such as urgency and disruptiveness, it is nonetheless the product of exposure to contemporary culture. In between his broad, often dissociative scope of subject matter and formal qualities, lies a central focus on creating objects that evade "contemporaryness", in a dialogue that does not privilege their own temporal context, but rather their inherent phenomenological and material character, and the somewhat atemporal state art can exist in.
Simão Martinez (Lisbon, 1993) is an artist based in Lisbon, Portugal. He has been exhibiting regularly since 2017, both in Portugal and abroad (France, Spain, Poland and the UK), and his work can be found in both private and institutional collections in Portugal, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. His works have also been published in over a dozen catalogs (see "Publications").His choice of media encompasses printmaking (stone lithography & chalchography), painting and drawing, and he works towards harmonizing the profound material mastery that their traditions have honed throughout history, both in Western and Eastern approaches, with the conceptual freedom of contemporary times.Although his work avoids values such as urgency and disruptiveness, it is nonetheless the product of exposure to contemporary culture. In between his broad, often dissociative scope of subject matter and formal qualities, lies a central focus on creating objects that evade "contemporaryness", in a dialogue that does not privilege their own temporal context, but rather their inherent phenomenological and material character, and the somewhat atemporal state art can exist in.
Simão Martinez (Lisbon, 1993) is an artist based in Lisbon, Portugal. He has been exhibiting regularly since 2017, both in Portugal and abroad (France, Spain, Poland and the UK), and his work can be found in both private and institutional collections in Portugal, Spain, France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Italy. His works have also been published in over a dozen catalogs (see "Publications").His choice of media encompasses printmaking (stone lithography & chalchography), painting and drawing, and he works towards harmonizing the profound material mastery that their traditions have honed throughout history, both in Western and Eastern approaches, with the conceptual freedom of contemporary times.Although his work avoids values such as urgency and disruptiveness, it is nonetheless the product of exposure to contemporary culture. In between his broad, often dissociative scope of subject matter and formal qualities, lies a central focus on creating objects that evade "contemporaryness", in a dialogue that does not privilege their own temporal context, but rather their inherent phenomenological and material character, and the somewhat atemporal state art can exist in.
In contrast to my focus on a single elemental structure, the line on series like "Procession", in the "Glass House" series, comprised mostly of paintings on paper and wood, I explore the addition and subtraction of matter as a compositional element. I use pure single-pigment paints, layered with progressive opacity, and shape the images by removing layers with various tools. The process involves the accumulation of time, layers, and the removal of matter in its application.
Painted largely from memory, over successive memories of the same space, I'm drawn to places that I inhabit for an extended period of time, witnessing their transformation and reorganization. I seek to understand what lies within and beyond things, underneath and above, and all the things that I know are there due to my multisensory and historical experience of a place, which flows into the gestures I develop.
During the lockdowns of 2020-21, I spent time drawing my home as if it were a landscape, fragile and transparent, mirroring the fragility of life itself. Here, the boundaries between drawing and painting dissolve even further, to the point where I sometimes don't know where to place them.
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Night of Saints
,
2018
Oil on canvas
150 x 100 cm


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Incandescence (after Delacroix)
,
2019
Stone Lithography on paper
50 x 70 cm


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Something's Off!
,
2018
Oil on primed paper
70 x 50 cm


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Ameixoeira I
,
2018
Oil on canvas
120 x 120 cm


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Minus Three
,
2019
Aquatint etching on paper
"
Fugue
"
series
70 x 50 cm (sheet size)

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FILTERS
2019
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2018
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2017
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2023
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2022
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2021
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2020
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2023
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Nothing here yet.
Between Pasts
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Fugue
☓
Fieldwork
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Procession
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Self-Misportraits
☓
Tower
☓
Glass House
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Nothing here yet.
Painting
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Printmaking
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Sculpture
☓
Installation
☓
Ceramics
☓
Drawing
☓
Nothing here yet.
CV - Exhibitions
[object Object]
We Have Time for That
Galeria Arte Graça
Lisbon, Portugal
Somnium et Mirabilia
MAC - Carmo Archaeological Museum
Lisbon, Portugal
SGPCM - FBAUL Prize
SGPCM - Secretariat-General for the Presidency of the Ministers' Council
Lisbon, Portugal
Ridges and Waterlines in the Côa Valley: A Contemporary Printmaking Exhibition
MAC - Carmo Archaeological Museum
Lisbon, Portugal
Printmaking and Transgression
MAC - Carmo Archaeological Museum
Lisbon, Portugal
Paula Rego Prize: 3rd Edition
Paula Rego House of Stories
Cascais, Portugal
Paula Rego Prize: 2nd Edition
Paula Rego House of Stories
Cascais, Portugal
New Regards on the Côa Valley: A Contemporary Printmaking Exhibition
MAC - Carmo Archaeological Museum
Lisbon, Portugal
New Regards on the Côa Valley: A Contemporary Printmaking Exhibition
Côa Museum
Vila Nova de Foz Côa, Portugal
JustLX - Contemporary Art Fair
CCL - Lisbon Congress Centre
Lisbon, Portugal
From Matter to Line
Galeria Arte Graça
Lisbon, Portugal
Flâneurs and Dandies Suspended in a Smartphone
MAC - Carmo Archaeological Museum
Lisbon, Portugal
Flâneurs and Dandies Suspended in a Smartphone
Aula Gallery, The Strzemiński Academy of Arts
Łódź, Poland
Feira Morta VIII
ZDB - Galeria Zé dos Bois
Lisbon, Portugal
Entre Passados
MAC - Carmo Archaeological Museum
Lisbon, Portugal
Drawing(s) in Construction
Galeria de Santa Maria Maior
Lisbon, Portugal
Carmo, Chiado, and the Heart of Darkness
Maison du Portugal
Paris, France
Carmo, Chiado, and the Heart of Darkness
MAC - Carmo Archaeological Museum
Lisbon, Portugal
Carmo, Chiado, and the Heart of Darkness
Sala Acua / Centro de Iniciativas Culturales
Cuenca, Spain
Carmo, Chiado, and the Apparitions of Faust
Maison du Portugal
Paris, France
Carmo, Chiado, and the Apparitions of Faust
MAC - Carmo Archaeological Museum
Lisbon, Portugal
Carmo, Chiado, and the Apparitions of Faust
Sala Acua / Centro de Iniciativas Culturales
Cuenca, Spain
BASE LX
Sto. António da Barra Fort
Estoril, Portugal
Artrooms London 2019
Meliã White House
London, UK
12th Amadeo de Souza-Cardos Prize
Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso Museum
Amarante, Portugal
12 x 12 x 10
Santa Clara Market
Lisbon, Portugal
Nothing here yet.
WRITINGS
"Não Me Falem de Arte" é um projeto iniciado em lockdown, no início de 2021 - uma publicação online, em que escrevo sobre arte e outras questões pelo meio da minha própria prática artística, e os muitos humores e desesperos a ela associados.
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50
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O Vento
February 13, 2024
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49
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Regresso a Casa
November 11, 2022
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48
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O Clube Social dos Patos do Parque Oeste
May 16, 2022
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47
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Grandes Conclusões
April 30, 2023
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46
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A Verdadeira Maionese
April 1, 2022
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45
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Os Deuses Escondidos
Parte II
March 19, 2022
Ler
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44
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Os Deuses Escondidos
Parte I
February 19, 2022
Ler
nº
43
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O Último Dia do Resto da Minha Vida
February 12, 2022
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42
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Desenho à Vista
February 8, 2022
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41
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Cor-De-Burro-Quando-Foge
January 29, 2022
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40
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Queda Livre
January 22, 2022
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39
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Uma Corrida Contra o Tempo
January 14, 2022
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38
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Casa de Malucos
A Grande Loucura, Parte I
November 30, 2021
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37
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A Última Linha
November 10, 2021
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36
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Hipercondria
November 2, 2021
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35
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Entre Sonhos
Parte II
October 25, 2021
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34
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Entre Sonhos
Parte I
October 20, 2021
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33
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À Janela
October 10, 2021
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32
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Insuficiente
October 2, 2021
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31
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Nem Por Sombras
September 26, 2021
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30
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O Interminável Indeterminável
September 19, 2021
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29
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Os Nomes do Mundo
September 10, 2021
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28
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O Fim dos Tempos
September 5, 2021
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27
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Água
August 28, 2021
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26
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Entretanto
August 20, 2021
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nº
25
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Ida e Volta
August 13, 2021
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24
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Isto Passa
August 6, 2021
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nº
23
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Em Branco
July 30, 2021
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22
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Passeio Nocturno
July 23, 2021
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nº
21
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Picasso Incompreendido
July 23, 2021
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20
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Perfume de Verão
July 9, 2021
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19
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Poesia e Prosa
July 2, 2021
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18
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Um Mundo de Possibilidades
June 25, 2021
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17
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O Fim da Macacada
June 18, 2021
Ler
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16
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Fotofobia
Parte II
June 11, 2021
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15
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Fotofobia
Parte II
June 4, 2021
Ler
nº
14
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Trabalhos Forçados
May 28, 2021
Ler
nº
13
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A Vida é Curta
January 28, 2021
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nº
12
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Falhanço
May 14, 2021
Ler
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11
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Hammershøi
May 7, 2021
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nº
10
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Fins de Tarde
April 30, 2021
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9
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Paisagens de Confinamento
April 23, 2021
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8
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As Pessoas Não Mudam?
April 16, 2021
Ler
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7
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Trabalho de Campo
April 9, 2021
Ler
nº
6
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A Morte do Artista
April 1, 2021
Ler
nº
5
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Os Vidros Duplos Fazem Mal à Saúde
Parte II
March 25, 2021
Ler
nº
4
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Uma Breve Introdução ao Artistês
March 19, 2021
Ler
nº
3
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O Fim do Mundo
March 11, 2021
Ler
nº
2
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Os Vidros Duplos Fazem Mal à Saúde
Parte I
March 5, 2021
Ler
nº
1
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Não Me Falem de Arte
March 2, 2021
Ler
Nothing here yet.
Night of Saints
,
2018
info & dimensions
⌄
Oil on canvas
150 x 100 cm


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Feel free to reach out with any questions, inquiries, or potential collaborations. I’d love to hear from you.