Biography
João Maria Ferreira was born in Santarém, Portugal, in 1992. Drawing has always been his greatest passion since he was really young, having read Comic Books throughout all his adolescence, which was one of his biggest inspirations. In 2010, he entered the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon, where he took a degree in Painting and a Masters in Drawing. There he discovered painting and sculpture, both techniques that he has been exploring with increasing force since then, sometimes mixing both at the same time.
He has been exploring countless themes using different mediums, keeping man’s social relationships, and all the diversity of situations derived from it, as the centerpiece of his work.
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He has made individual and collective exhibitions in several places, most of them in Portugal. His first solo exhibition took place at Arte Periférica Gallery, in Lisbon, in 2018.
He is also the coordinator of the Artistic Residence of Santarém, RAS, and O Atelier do João, a fine arts school, both remaining active to this day.
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Solo exhibitions:
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Biblioteca Municipal de Tomar, 2013.
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Casa dos Cubos, Tomar, 2016.
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Fórum Actpr Mário Viegas/ Palácio Landal, Santarém, 2016.
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Galeria Arte Periférica, Lisboa, 2018.
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Loja 91, Galerias In.Str, Santarém, 2019.
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Fórum Actor Mário Viegas, 2023.
Group exhibitions:
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VAAG - contemporary art gallery, Lisbon, 2013.
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XXVIII Salão Primavera, Casino Estoril, Estoril, 2015.
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Galeria Arte Periférica, Lisbon, 2016.
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Finalistas de Pintura, Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes, Lisbon 2016.
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Palácio Landal, Santarém, 2016.
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Casa do Brasil, Santarém, 2017.
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Caldas Late Night, Caldas da Rainha, 2016, 2018, 2019.
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Fórum Actor Mário Viegas, 2018.
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GABA - Galerias Abertas das Belas Artes, Lisbon, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.
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Festival Aqui ao Lado, Massamá, 2019.
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Copeland Gallery, London, 2021
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South London Gallery, London, 2021
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Fórum Actor Mário Viegas, Santarém, 2024
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Faculty of Fine Arts of Lisbon, 2024
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Museu Arqueológico do Carmo, Lisboa, 2024
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Academy of Fine Arts, Lodz, Poland, 2024
Artistic residences:
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RAS, Santarém, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
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Pictorin, Santarém, 2018
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Academic training:
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Painting graduation at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon, 2015.
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Drawing Masters at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon, 2019.
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Painting Masters at UAL - Camberwell College of Arts, 2021
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Erasmus during one semester at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Bologna in Italy, 2014.
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Drawing semestral course at AR.CO in Lisbon, 2010.
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Live Model semestral course at AR.CO in Lisbon, 2010.
Collaborations:​
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Newspaper “O Mirante”, between 2016 and 2018.
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Taberna “Ó Balcão”, 2017.
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“Incluir - oficinas para todos e para cada um” project Arts teacher, in Santarém, since 2016.
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Coordinator of RAS - Residência Artística de Santarém, since 2017, in partnership with Centro Cultural e Regional de Santarém.
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Awards and honorable mentions:
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Honorable mention at the “Décimo concurso de Artes Plásticas do Inatel”, 2014.
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Third place at the Banda Desenhada Amadora BD contest, 2015.
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Third place at the Banda Desenhada BD Odemira contest , 2015.
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Honorable mention at the Bienal de Coruche, 2017.
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Honorable mention at the Banda Desenhada Amadora BD contest, 2019.
