José de Guimarães
Guimarães, Portugal, 1939. Lives and works between Lisbon and Paris.
The work of José de Guimarães proposes crossovers with the art of African, Chinese and Mesoamerican civilizations, in a never-ending search for non-verbal relationships, which is also reflected in his practice as a collector on which he has been focusing for several decades.
A stay in Angola during the 1960s and 1970s was to become a determining vector in defining his artistic vocabulary, driven by an effort to create an osmosis between two forms of visual expression, European and African. Yet, if the first decade of artistic production was based in Africa, his more than forty years of work displays complete series focused on the Chinese and Japanese cultures, on the art of Rubens, the literature of Camões and the unique conception of death in Mexico. In the last few years, his path has reflected a tendentiously cosmopolitan vocation of forms and figures.
His visual expression has privileged the light of neons and LEDs, especially in his wooden boxes, which propose an exterior of austerity in contrast with the scenographic setting of their interior space, fitted out with the luminous strokes of neons and LEDs, painting, collages and objects deflected from the meaning conferred by their traditional function.
Having held a vast number of exhibitions in several countries, he has been subject of several anthological or retrospective exhibitions in Portugal, Spain, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Brazil, Angola, China and Japan.
Solo Exhibitions (selection)
2020
Dioramas, Projeto Travessa da Ermida, Lisbon, Portugal.
José de Guimarães: From Artist to Anthropologist. The Würth collection and works on loan, Forum Würth Rorschach, Rorschach, Switzerland.
2019
Volta ao Mundo, Biblioteca Nacional de Portugal, Lisbon, Portugal.
José de Guimarães. Collection Würth et Prêts, Musée Würth, Erstein, France.
2018
José de Guimarães and Africa, Ichihara Lakeside Museum, Chiba, Japan.
A MUSEUM FROM ANOTHER WORLD, Fundação Oriente, Lisbon, Portugal.
2016
Pigmalião, Galeria Sala 117, Porto, Portugal.
Esconjurações , Galeria Millennium, Fundação Millennium bcp, Lisbon, Portugal.
2015
Pinturas: Suites Monumentais e Algumas Variações, Centro Internacional das Artes José de Guimarães, Guimarães, Portugal.
2014
Contact Proof: The stencil to the digital: image transferring processes, Teatro Municipal da Guarda, Guarda, Portugal .
A serpente no imaginário artístico, Museu Afro Brasil, São Paulo, Brasil.
O ritual da serpente , Museu Afro Brasil, São Paulo, Brasil.
Provas de contacto, QuARTel – Galeria Municipal de Arte, Abrantes, Portugal.
Tattoos - Recent works, Galeria Quadrado Azul, Porto, Portugal.
Provas de Contacto, CIAJG, Guimarães, Portugal.
2012
Von Kopf bis Fub (From Head to Toe) – Human Images in the Focus of the Würth Collection, Museu Würth, Kunsthalle Würth, Schwäbisch Hall, Germany.
Suzhou Jinji Lake Art Museum, Suzhou, China.
Metropolis – Cities and Citizens, Suzhou Jinji Lake Art Museum, Suzhou, China.
José de Guimarães, retrospektive, 1990-2012, Galerie Winter, Wiesbaden, Germany.
Gruta e Crânio, Fundação Carmona e Costa, Lisbon, Portugal.
Metropolis – Cities and Citizens, European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium.
Dialogo com o Imperador Qin, Itinerant exhibition, several museums, Europe/ China.
2011
Album Inframonde et Gouaches, Galerie Flora J., Paris, France.
Bronzes e Jades da China Antiga na Colecção José de Guimarães, Centro Cultural e Científico de Macau, Lisbon, Portugal.
Viagem ao Japão, Galeria Municipal, Tomar, Portugal.
2010
José de Guimarães, obras públicas no Japão, Museu do Oriente, Lisbon, Portugal.
José de Guimarães, Arte Pública, Instituto Politécnico de Viana do Castelo, Viana do Castelo, Portugal.
Mondi, Corpo e Anima, Würth Capena, Capena, Italy.
2009
… Quarenta Anos depois, Instituto Camões, Luanda, Angola.
Série África-Brasil, Galeria Winter, Wiesbaden, Germany.
2008
Brasil, Galeria Quadrado Azul, Lisbon, Portugal.
Vozes Nómadas, Edifício Chiado, Coimbra, Portugal.
Arte Urbana, Design Center, Lisbon, Portugal.
José de Guimarães, Mundos, Cuerpo y Alma, Museu Wurth, La Rioja, Spain.
2007
China-África-América (obras dos últimos dez anos), Today Art Museum, Beijing, China.
Mimésis, Galeria San Carlo, Milan, Italy.
Les Voix Nomades, Parc Européen pour Sculpture (Parc Tournay-Solvay), Brussels, Belgium.
2006
Africanias, Festival Internacional do Teatro de Almada, Casa da Cerca, Almada, Portugal.
África e Africanias de José de Guimarães, Museu Afro-Brasil, São Paulo, Brazil.
Group Exhibitions (selection)
2022
Artists, Heritage and the Museum, Museu Nacional de História Natural e da Ciência, Lisbon, Portugal.
2021
Desenhos na Areia, Centro Português de Serigrafia, CCB, Lisbon, Portugal.
2019
European Dream: Works from the Norlinda and José Lima Collection, Centro de Cultura Contemporânea de Castelo Branco, Castelo Branco, Portugal.
2018
LandArt Cascais 2018, Quinta do Pisão, Cascais, Portugal.
Post-Pop. Beyond the commonplace, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal.
2017
Dialogue with Emperor Qin, Antwerp Port, Antwerp, Belgium.
2016
Portugal Portugueses, Museu Afro Brasil, São Paulo, Brazil.
2013
Hidden Treasures, Galerie Atlantis, Stuttgart, Germany.
Cities and citizens, Shaanxi Art Museum, China.
The Würth Collection, Forum Würth, Rorschach, Switzerland.
2012
The Art of Weaving – Tradition and Modernity, São Paulo, Brazil.
Face to Face, Musée Royal de Beaux Arts, Brussels, Belgium.
Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale 2012, Echigo-Tsumari region, Japan.
2011
30 Anos de Prémio AICA/MC, Museu do Chiado, Lisbon, Portugal.
Art Karlsruhe 2011, Karlsruhe, Germany.
Galeria Baudoin Lebon, Paris, France.
Arte e Peregrinação, Museu do Oriente, Lisbon, Portugal.
2010
Elos da lusofonia, Museu de História do Rio de Janeiro/ Museu afro-brasil, Rio de Janeiro/ São Paulo, Brazil.
The Ear of Giacometti, Levy Gallery, Hamburg, Germany.
Negreiros e Guaranis, Palácio Fonte da Pipa/ Convento do Espirito Santo, Loulé, Portugal.
Setouchi International Art Festival, Japan.
Under de influence of Fashion and Finance, Malibu, USA.
2009
Serralves 2009 – A Colecção, Museu de Serralves, Porto, Portugal.
Art Paris, Grand Palais, Paris, France.
2007
Bienal São Paulo-Valência, Valencia, Spain.
Figura Humana e Abstração, Exposição Internacional de Escultura, Museu Würth, La Rioja, Spain.
De cá para lá e de lá para cá, Galeria Bernardo Marques, Lisbon, Portugal.
Awards
2019
GQ Men of the Year Awards.
Career Prize, Sociedade Portuguesa de Autores, Portugal.
2009
Grã-Cruz da Ordem de Mérito, Portugal.
2008
Prémio de escultura Doutor Gustavo Cordeiro Ramos da Academia Nacional Belas Artes, Portugal.
2004
Golden medal by the Portuguese government for the realization of the Portugal’s tourism symbol.
2001
Career Prize, Sociedade Portuguesa de Autores, Portugal.
1998
Prémio de Pintura Órtega Muñoz da Caixa da Extremadura, Spain.
1997
Honorable Mention, Exposição Nacional de Gravura, Portugal.
1992
Prémio Artes Plásticas, AICA, Portugal.
1991
Troféu Arte e Desporto, Comité Olímpico Internacional, Portugal.
1990
Awarded with Grau de Comendador da Ordem Infante D. Henrique, Braga, Portugal.
1989
Medalha de Mérito Artístico da Cidade de Guimarães, Portugal.
1986
Grande Prémio, 9ª Exposição Bienal Internacional Artes Plásticas, Barcelona, Spain.
1984
Prémio Orwell, Centro de Arte Moderna, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, Lisbon, Portugal.
1982
Honorable Mention, Salão do Pequeno Formato, Lisbon, Portugal.
1980
Bronze medal, Prix d’Europe de peinture de la Ville d’Ostende, Belgium.
1978
Bronze medal, Prix d’Europe de peinture de la Ville d’Ostende, Belgium.
1968
1st Prize Engraving, Luanda, Angola.
1967
1st Prize Engraving, Universidade de Luanda, Angola.
1965
2nd Prize Engraving, Estoril, Portugal.
“Negreiros” Series, 2010. Monotyping, aqueous printing ink and milled glass. 100 x 70 cm
“Guaranis” Series, 2010. LED Light box. 81 x 65 x 9 cm
“Guaranis” Series, 2010. LED Light box. 65 x 81 x 9 cm
“Guaranis” Series, 2010. LED Light box. 65 x 81 x 9 cm
Favela, “Brasil” Series, 2010. Boxes, mixed media with neon light and objects. 172 x 132 x 59 cm
“Negreiros” Series, 2010. Monotyping, aqueous printing ink and milled glass. 152,5 x 103 cm
“Negreiros” Series, , 2010. Monotyping, aqueous printing ink and milled glass. 121 x 160 cm
“Negreiros” Series, 2009. Acrylic on canvas. 162 x 130 cm
“Negreiros” Series, 2009. Acrylic on canvas. 97 x 130 cm
“Negreiros” Series, 2009. Acrylic on canvas. 162 x 130 cm
“Negreiros” Series, 2009. Acrylic on canvas. 81 x 100 cm
Favela, 2009. Boxes, mixed media with neon light and objects. 270 x 177 x 34 cm
“Negreiros” Series, 2009. Acrylic on canvas. 100 x 81 cm
“Brasil” Series, 2008. Acrylic on canvas. 130 x 162 cm
Favela, 2008. Boxes, mixed media with neon light and objects. 251 x 88 x 50 cm
Untitled, 2008. Acrylic on canvas. 130 x 162 cm
Favela, 2007. Boxes, mixed media with neon light and objects. 265 x 420 x 60 cm
Série Mimésis. Acrylic on canvas. 81 x 65 cm
Série Oceanos. Acrylic on "marouflé" paper on canvas. 206 x 209 cm