Back in 2008 I had the chance to do a project in my hometown of Cascais, a 650 years old village near Lisbon. I really wanted to do something that would define its history and that would also identify myself as a Portuguese.
At that time I was working as a freelance illustrator (as I am still today) so I thought I could use my weird illustration universe, forming a Portuguese tile pattern. Visually, the result turned out really good so I felt this was something I needed to explore.
I think that nowadays it’s important for us, as citizens of a fast pacing and technological advanced world, to think about what our traditions mean to us and how can they can be preserved. Growing up in Portugal I’ve seen these tile panels all my life, inside and outside the buildings.
Photos were taken by Add Fuel, Rui Gaiola and Lara Seixo Rodrigues.
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My latest intervention was in Largo de S. Paulo in Lisbon (invited by Mistaker Maker), where I partially transformed an electricity box.
One thing, which is also very important for me, is to contextualize my interventions. Thus, I usually re-draw patterns from the surrounding location.
The purpose of this intervention is really simple. By catching the attention of passersby, it make them think about what lies beneath the beauty of our cities, which is usually something that has always been there – our culture.
I used my work to create “layers of history” – surfaces underneath or on the top (as I did in Cascais in 2014) of the existing structure or wall.
It looks traditional from afar, but when you take a closer look, you can discover all the contemporary and pop elements.
Stencil mural, Muraliza, Cascais, Portugal. 2014
For some years now I’ve been working as an artist on stencil paintings, murals and ceramics, based on tiles and patterns (mainly azulejos – Portuguese tiles).
Djerbahood Project, Erriadh, Tunisia. 2014
Djerbahood Project, Erriadh, Tunisia. 2014