With its long history of azulejaria, or tilework, and decorative calçada, it could be argued that Lisbon’s soul is illustrated along its walls and cobblestones. One of its best known illustrators was multimedia artist Eduardo Nery, who died in Lisbon on March 2, aged 74. With a writer mother and engineer father, Nery was born in Figueira da Foz and grew up in Lisbon. He attended the Escola Superior de Belas Artes de Lisboa, majoring in painting and also studying architecture and museum conservation. He worked with French tapestry artist Jean Lurçat at Saint-Céré during the 1960s and Nery’s diverse education is reflected in a career that combined photography, painting, glasswork, … [Read more...] about Lisbon’s multimedia maestro Eduardo Nery
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Berardo brings Buddha to Lisbon
According to a recent article in The Art Newspaper, Portuguese entrepreneur and financier José Berardo has commissioned additions inspired by the Bamiyan Valley Buddhas for his Buddha Eden Garden, north of Lisbon. Six thousand tons of stone sculptures carved by sculptors based in Shijiazhuang, China, have been commissioned for the park (that being the approximate weight of the Bamiyan Buddhas) and the creation of the garden itself was prompted by the destruction of the Buddhas in central Afghanistan in 2001. The garden contains a number of large-scale Asian sculptures scattered over 35 hectares at the Quinta dos Loridos, Bombarral, including terracotta warriors based on those that guarded … [Read more...] about Berardo brings Buddha to Lisbon
Joana Vasconcelos
Portugal has had little to cheer about in 2012, with its post-bailout economy still struggling to bounce back under the weight of austerity. But Lisbon-based artist Joana Vasconcelos has had a year to remember. She was already a fêted figure in the world of sculpture and installation art, having exhibited at the 2005 Venice Biennale, Sao Paulo and Moscow. But this year, the Paris-born Vasconcelos came full circle, returning to France to show her work at the Palace of Versailles. In the process, she became the first woman to do so and took on what she described as “the most fascinating challenge” of an already remarkable career. … [Read more...] about Joana Vasconcelos