Biography of 

RAQUEL MARTINS

My work is the understanding of the elements, shape, line, color, texture, value, and edges and applying them with a direct visual approach, shape, line, darklight pattern, local tone, light and shadow, colour, texture, and edges. I understand these ideas internally and can use them intuitively with emotion.

Yes, it's a vision thing... I feel compelled to reflect & inspect the world around me in my own way... and...it is a social thing - to change the world for the better...
and yes, it is a philosophical thing - to examine the structure of life... and it's a moral thing - to make us all better... and also consider it to be a religious thing - reflecting the works of 'God' in nature..

but mostly, I'd say it is about fulfilling that inner Passion... and of following my ... bliss...

I was born somewhere in a southern part of Africa in 1961. Fleeing my country in 1974, just after the collapse of the colonial empire, I arrived in Johannesburg and resided there until 1982. In 1982, I moved to Portugal where I work and reside. For the next ten years I worked as a portraitist and it was not until 2001 when I began exploring painting as a form of expression as a full-time painter, and as a professional artist. For the past years my work has centred around figurative paintings ranging from a nearly abstract suggestion of form to a stylized graphic treatment.

Today, I live and work in Palmela.

Artworks are represented at:

Passepartout Art Gallery -  Amoreiras Shopping, Colombo Shopping, Oeiras Shopping

Galeria de Arte - Almada Forum- Fonte Nova

Galeria Paleta - Lisbon

Galeria El Corte Inglés - Lisbon - Porto

Education

  1980     Studied Graphic Design & Fine Art. After school I went on to experiment with different schools of visual art.       
          I also gained vast experience in Technical Illustration and Graphic Design.

  1984   Worked as Graphic Artist, Illustrator, in two leading Portuguese Advertising  Agencies for several years, while continuing with my oil painting at every opportunity.

1990-2000   Took commissions for portraiture and figurative paintings.

                   Today I paint full time.

2011- "Uma Retrospetiva" CML - Campo Grande  

2009 - "Vermelho Sólido" - Galeria Magia Imagem - Lisboa

2008 - Galeria ART&MAR - Sesimbra

          "Intemporal" - Almedina Atrium Saldanha - Lisbon

          "Last Expression" - Almedina Atrium Saldanha - Lisboa

           El Corte Inglés - Lisboa

2006 -  Galeria STA. TERESA, Setubal

2005 -  Telecom Picoas, Lisbon

           Garcia de Orta, Almada 

2004 – Galeria d’Arte DeDois, Vilamoura  

            Galeria d’Arte DeDois, Lisbon

2003 – Telecom, June, Lisbon

           Galeria Arte & Mar, Sesimbra  

           Galeria de Arte Respública, Santarem  

           Telecom, October, Lisbon

2002 – Arte & Mar, Sesimbra   

           ARS Pictorica, Lisbon

2001 - ARS Pictorica - Lisbon

1993 – Laitau, Setúbal

1985 – Pombal

1984 – Criativarte, Coimbra

 

Group Shows

          

2011 - Exposição Colectiva de Acervo - Galeria Zeller - Espinho

 

         "Diversidades" - Ordem dos Médicos Porto

          SUMMER 2007 EXHIBITION  Blackheath Gallery - London

          Grupo Art Portugal - Edificio Central do Municipio - Camara Municipal de Lisboa

          "Colectiva de Pintura" - Galeria OWO - Porto

          "Colectiva de Artes" Galeria Santa Teresa - Setubal

2007 - "MODOS DE VER" Galeria Santa Teresa - Setubal

          Chicago Art Matrix Gallery - Zhou B Art Center, Chicago

          Centro Cultural da Nazaré - Nazaré
          Arte Galeria - Lisbon
          COWS EX-CREATORS - Montado - Lisbon

          2nd ANNUAL NATIONAL SELF-PORTRAIT EXHIBITION - 33 COLLECTIVE GALLERY - Chicago

          "Artists of May", GALERIA STA. TERESA, Setubal

          SERVARTES - Porto

2006 - "SHE" Juried Exhibition - 33 COLLECTIVE GALLERY - Chicago

        Galeria Zero - Winter's Juried Exhibition - Barcelona

          Biennale Internazionale Dell'Arte Contemporanea - Florence

          Ordem dos Médicos - Porto         

          Art Portugal Group - Olivais Shopping Center, Espaço Portugal

          Fair of Antiquities and Works of Art - Lisbon Congress Center 

          Sici -  International Madrid Design Fair

2005 - 48th International Exhibition - San Diego Art Institute

2004 - Rotary Club of Sesimbra

           I International Exhibition of Fine Arts of Sesimbra  

         

           Finalist - Intensity 2004 Artrom International Juried Exhibition - Roma, Italia

2003 – Associação Rosa Cruz, Lisbon

            Biblioteca Municipal Camões - Lisbon

            Arte & Mar, Sesimbra  

2002 – Galeria Arte & Mar, Sesimbra

           Nova Imagem Gallery, Lisbon

           City Hall Arruda dos Vinhos

           Arte & Mar - Sesimbra

           ARS , Lisbon

2001 – Nova Imagem gallery,  Lisbon

1984 – Salão de Outono, Casino Estoril  

 

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