The Artist

Alfredo Moreira da Silva (born 1958 in Porto) is an artist whose work transcends traditional classifications, combining profound emotional abstraction with a practice exploring the physical and symbolic dimensions of territory. Although often associated with figurative painting, AMS's work goes beyond the visible to capture the emotional essence of moments, places, and stories, producing an artistic approach where memory, landscape, and identity are intimately intertwined.

Emotional Abstraction: Alfredo Moreira da Silva's painting does not simply represent what is visible, but reveals what is felt. Each work emerges as a fragment of memory or a sensation evoked by encounters and landscapes, transformed into a visual language where shapes and colors express intense emotions. This approach goes beyond simple figuration to propose a dialogue between the intimate and the universal.

The Materiality of the Landscape: Just as memory is built in layers, AMS crafts his canvases by carefully superimposing colours and textures. The tones he chooses, sometimes vibrant and sometimes subtle, express moods oscillating between contemplation and intensity. This chromatic complexity reflects not only the emotional depth of his works but also his connection to the natural landscape, particularly the forest he regenerates himself in Cercal, Alentejo.

The frame as an extension of space: Like Howard Hodgkin, AMS goes beyond the boundaries of the canvas, but in his case, this expansion is not limited to the physical plane of the work; it also extends to the context in which it is created. His studio, located in the heart of a forest in Alentejo, becomes an extension of his artistic practice, uniting the act of painting with the construction of a living landscape. This relationship between art and territory is essential to his work: the forest, with its 110 hectares, is both the setting and the metaphor for his creative approach, a space in constant transformation where time and nature become integral elements of the work.

A slow and deliberate process: Time is a constant in Alfredo Moreira da Silva's work. Whether it is the layers of paint he patiently applies or the organic rhythm of the forest he cultivates, the artist rejects any rush. This deliberate approach reflects his commitment to a practice that respects growth, maturation, and permanence, both in art and in life.

The transversality of a creative life: Trained at the Soares dos Reis School of Arts and Crafts, Alfredo Moreira da Silva belongs to a generation of Portuguese artists who experienced the cultural and political transition following the 25th of April. His career is marked by a clear multidisciplinary approach, spanning textile design, architecture, and painting. The son of a landscape architect and heir to Casa Moreira da Silva, famous for its tree nurseries founded in the 19th century, AMS carries within him a tradition of caring for the land, which is both a legacy and a starting point for new artistic explorations.

An artistic and ecological legacy: Alfredo Moreira da Silva's work is inseparable from the forest he created in the Alentejo. This territory, both a refuge and a source of inspiration, is also a space of hospitality and sharing, where artists and thinkers are invited to participate in an ongoing dialogue between art and nature.

Just as the forest grows, his paintings extend beyond the margins of the canvas, connecting with the space, time, and memories that inspired them. Alfredo Moreira da Silva is not just a painter; he is a creator of worlds, where art, landscape, and life intertwine to offer a transformative vision of what it means to create and inhabit the world.