Luís Almeida (b. 1985, Lisbon) devotes his practice to small and large-format drawing, working primarily with charcoal, pastel, and graphite. His diverse academic background in Psychology, Architecture, and Graphic Design — prior to his Fine Arts studies at Ar.Co — informs a body of work that humorously explores everyday fantasies inspired by both art history and personal memory.
His artistic practice centers on the deconstruction of the human figure and classical iconography through raw, gestural marks. By operating on monumental scales that often exceed three meters, Almeida seeks to confront the viewer with the sheer physicality of drawing and the warping of visual memory. His work establishes a tense dialogue between art history — evident in his reinterpretations of works such as Las Meninas — and a contemporary aesthetic of the grotesque. In these deliberately open narratives, empty space acts as a vital compositional pause, allowing the transformation of form to breathe and the boundary between the real and the dreamlike to remain intentionally blurred.
Having lived and worked in Paris and Lisbon, Almeida’s work has gained significant international recognition, including the FID award (Paris, 2017) and selection for the Drawing Center’s viewing program (New York, 2020). Since 2016, he has exhibited extensively in institutions such as the National Museum of Contemporary Art (Lisbon), Istituto Centrale per la Grafica (Rome), and Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac (Paris).
His work is represented in Lisbon by Braço Perna 44 gallery.
Luisresendealmeida@outlook.com
LUÍS ALMEIDA (b. Lisbon, 1985)
Lives and works in Lisbon
EDUCATION
2013 / Advanced Course of Fine Arts, Ar.Co, Lisbon
2012 / Interchange program, Escola Massana, Barcelona
2011 / Basic Course of Fine Arts, Ar.Co, Lisbon
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2026 / Childhood Regained, Gallery Braço Perna 44, Lisbon.
2024 / Heads Will Roll, Gallery Braço Perna 44, Lisbon
Caylus, MU.SA - Museu das Artes, Sintra
Hi, It’s me, Johnny, A Base, Lisbon
2023 / (Re)descobrir os Mestres, Solar dos Zagallos, Almada
2022 / Strange Days, Quase Galeria, Espaço T, Porto
2017 / Playing with fire, Gallery Alecrim 50, Lisbon
2016 / Santa Fé, Espace Pilote, Paris, France (catalogue)
O Paraíso não é por aí, Gallery Alecrim 50, Lisbon
COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS
2026 / Artist residency, with Run Jiang, Musée Bernard Boesch, Le Pouliguen, France (catalogue)
2025 / Pretending, Curated by D. Dominick Lombardi, Gallery Braço Perna 44, Lisbon
Pretending, Curated by D. Dominick Lombardi,Atelier Ghostbirds, Caldas da Rainha
Paredes Meias, Curated by Constança Pupo, Rua das Fontainhas, Lisbo
A Minha Casa, curated by David Willis, Rua São Bento 275, Lisbon
2024 / A Raia, Forte da Graça, Elvas, Curated by Diogo Ramalho e Mercedes Vidal-Abarca
Coleção Quinta Magnólia - Centro Cultural, Funchal
2023 / Festival Vrrraimant, Metaxu, Toulon
Prata da Casa, Quinta Magnólia - Centro Cultural, Funchal
Bau, Metaxu, Toulon
Draw International Open Studios, Caylus
Whose Masks new edition, Galeria NovaOgiva, Óbidos
Bouba-Kiki, (duo exhibition with Run Jiang), Bon Space, Shanghai
Do Outro Lado do Espelho, Espaço.Arte, Campo Maior (catalogue)
2022 / Arte de Bolso, Galeria Sete, Coimbra
1, O Gabinete de Madame Thao, Lisbon
Anonymous Drawings 2022, Galerie Im Körnerpark, Berlin
Various Positions, BAG - Banco das Artes Galeria, Leiria (catalogue)
2021 / Whose masks, Centro Cultural Quinta Magnólia, Funchal (catalogue)
2020 / Sororité, Espace Cabane Georgina, Marseille
2019 / Orto di incendio, National Contemporary Museum of Fine Arts (MNAC), Lisbon
Novembre à Vitry, Galerie Jean-Collet, Vitry-Sur-Seine (catalogue)
Orto di Incendio, Istituto Centrale per la grafica, Rome
2018 / Ce qu’il contient, Gallery Alecrim 50, Lisbon
Illusion,Galerie DYS, Brussels
2017 / Não, obrigada, Espaço AZ, Lisbon
Pandora, Gallery Alecrim 50, Lisbon
Escalas desejantes, Natural History Museum, Lisbon
Marriage, Centro cultural Emmerico Nunes, Sines, Portugal
2016 / 66th edition of Jeune creation, Thaddaeus Ropac gallery, Paris- Pantin (catalogue)
Sommaire, Espace Pilote, Paris
Campanha, House Museum Medeiros e Almeida, Lisbon
Escola de línguas, Sá da Costa library, Lisbon
Acervo, Gallery Alecrim 50, Lisbon
2015 / Vaga Luz, House Museum Medeiros e Almeida, Lisbon
FAIRS
2025 / Drawing Room, with Gallery Braço Perna 44, SNBA, Lisbon
Art Santander, with Gallery Braço Perna 44, Santander, Spain
RESIDENCIES
2026 / Musée Bernard Boesch, Le Pouliguen, France
2024 / A Raia, Córtex Frontal, Arraiolos
2023 / Draw International, Caylus, France
2021 / Viewing Program 20/21, The Drawing Center
2015 / Mart, Lisbon
AWARDS
2019 / Shortlisted for Novembre à Vitry prize
2017 / Top Ten Winner FID award
2016 / Selected for the 66th edition of Jeune Création
COLLECTIONS
Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian Art Library, Portugal
Istituto Centrale per la Gráfica, Rome, Italy
University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, Rome, Italy
Regional Secretariat of Tourism and Culture, Madeira, Portugal
Municipality of Leiria, Portugal
Miguel Castro Collection
BIBLIOGRAPHY
2023 / Do Outro Lado do Espelho, Exhibition Catalogue published by Espaço.Arte, Campo Maior
2022 / Various Positions, Exhibition Catalogue published by BAG | Banco das Artes - Galeria Municipal de Leiria
Nenhuma Idade é Inteira, published by Casa Mãe, Cangosta do Frio, Faria, Barcelos
2021 / Whose Masks, Exhibition catalogue published by Direção Regional da Cultura, Quinta Magnólia - Centro Cultural
2019 / Novembre à Vitry, Exhibition Catalogue, published by Galerie Municipale Jean-Collet, Vitry-sur-Seine
2017 / FID Prize, Digital Catalogue
2016 / Santa Fé, Exhibition Catalogue, published by Éditions Pilote, Paris
Jeune Création 66ª edição, Exhibition Catalogue published by L’association Jeune Création
TEXTS
2026 / Childhood Regained, written by D. Dominick Lombardi, Braço Perna 44, Lisbon
Résidence d’artiste, written by Philippe Larue and Quentin Mercier, Musée Bernard Boesch, Le Pouliguen, France
2024 / Reflecting on the Drawings of Luís Almeida, Written by Nicholas Hill, Braço Perna 44, Lisboa.
A Raia, Written by Mercedes Vidal-Abarca and Diogo Ramalho, A Farra, Forte da Graça, Elvas.
Hi, It’s me Johnny, Written by Luís Almeida, A Base, Lisboa.
2022 / Various Positions, Written by Ana David Mendes, BAG, Leiria.
Strange Days, Written by Maria de Fátima Lambert, Quase Galeria, Porto.
2021 / Whose Masks, Written by Ana David Mendes, Centro Cultural Quinta Magnólia.
2019 / Orto di Incendio, Written by André Almeida e Sousa, MNAC, Lisboa.
2017 / Playing with Fire, Written by Luís Silveirinha e Luís Almeida, Alecrim 50.
FID Catalogue, Written by Magda Carneci, Serghei Litvin and Brett Littman.
Não, Obrigada, Written by André Almeida e Sousa, Espaço AZ, Lisboa.
2016 / Jeune Création 66ª edição, Written by Constance Arroyo, Paris.