Margarida Alfacinha
Margarida Alfacinha (b. 1975, Lisbon) is an artist who works with painting and drawing, tapping into her life experience to present scenes and themes about womanhood, private life, popular culture, nature, and more. Created with immediacy and physicality, her work is at times almost diaristic, reflecting not only her views on the world but also addressing the cultural, political, and material conditions that shape our identities and personalities. In her paintings, she brings into play lively colours, expressive shapes, short pieces of writing, and a provocative sense of humour. This amounts to a singular raw style and iconography that she uses to paint an ongoing narrative of individuality shaped by the collective. It is also the colourful story of modernity, democracy, and personal freedoms flourishing in Portugal after the revolution that took place in the country just one year before she was born. By combining the poetic with the mundane in this idiosyncratic manner, she has become a pictorial chronicler of contemporary life.
Margarida Alfacinha lives and works in Lisbon, where she is often featured at Mercado P’la Arte, a monthly art fair dedicated to showcasing and selling works from upcoming local artists. She has a degree in Visual Communication Design (IADE – Instituto Artes Visuais, Design e Marketing, Lisbon 1995/9), a Monitors Course in Plastic Expression and Child Psychology (Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, Lisbon 2001/2), and a Course in Painting and Aesthetics (Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes, Lisbon 1992/5). Her work has been showcased in several individual and collective exhibitions (see lists below).
Photo: © Joana Botelho Enes
exhibitions
CORPO REAL Galeria Passevite, Lisboa 2023
SER Casa da Cidadania da Língua, Coimbra 2023 | Sociedade Martins Sarmento, Guimarães 2023 | Festival Iminente with the collective P’la Arte, Lisboa 2022
VIVA VOZ Galeria Monumental, Lisboa 2022
ARTE VERDE Largo Estúdio, Lisboa 2021
4D – DINASTIAS DE PORTUGAL Espaço Santa Catarina, Lisboa 2017 | Logradouro, Lisboa 2016
ESCRITA NAS CORES Livraria Leya na Barata, Lisboa 2013
DESENHOS MARGARIDA ALFACINHA Espaço SOU – Movimento e Arte, Lisboa 2011
NA TERRA A TOCAR O CÉU Galeria Municipal de Almada, Maio 2010 | CLC, Lisboa 2009 | Vieira, Beja 2009 | Cineteatro Municipal de Serpa, 2009 | Oficinas de Formação e Animação Cultural, Aljustrel 2009 | Galeria de Exposições da Praça, Almodôvar 2009 | Assembleia Legislativa Regional dos Açores, Horta, Faial 2009 | Galeria Maria Lucília Cruz, Lisboa 2008 | Espaço Garrett, Grândola 2006
RETROSPETIVA Lapa Gallery, Lisboa 2004
DO OURO Ceutart, Lisboa 2003
LINHA VAGEM Clube 50, Lx 2001 | Livraria Fonte de Letras, Montemor-o-Novo 2001
FRASES FEITAS Livraria S. Bento, Lisboa 1998
COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS
“Nós que acreditamos na Liberdade” Galeria Santa Maria Maior, Lisbon 2024 | “Pequenos Formatos”, Galeria Monumental, Lisbon 2022 | “Drawing Room”, National Society of Fine Arts, Lisbon 2022 | Festival Iminente, P’la Arte, Marvila Lisboa, 2022 | “Convergences – Land and Sea” Almada City Council, 2022 | “Mercado P’la Arte”, Lisboa, Marvila 2021/23 | Opening of Artists’ Workshops, Castelo D’if Association, 2021/23 | “Bairro em Festa”, Largo Residências, Lisboa 2021| “Christmas Art Market”, Largo Residências, Lisboa 2020 | “Atelier Aberto”, R. da Madalena, Lisboa 2019 | Foundation Oriente “Nowhere/NowHere”, Macau 2014 | Galeria Maria Lucília Cruz, Lisboa 2011/2 | EGE – Atlantic Business School, Porto 2010 | Paula Cabral Art Gallery, Lisboa 2010 | Galeria 9 Arte, Lisboa 2010 | XVII Open Gallery, Beja 2009 | 15th International Vendas Novas Exhibition, Vendas Novas Municipal Auditorium 2009 | Braço de Prata Factory, Lisboa 2008 | XV Open Gallery, Beja 2007 | Corrente D’Arte Gallery, Lisboa 2007 | Vendas Novas Municipal Gallery, 2007 | Casa das Artes, Tavira 2006 | Galeria Magia Imagem, Lisboa 2005 | Corrente D’Arte, “Fidelidade Award Winners – Worldwide”, Lisboa 2004 | Culturgest, 8th Young Artists Award - Fidelidade Mundial, Lisboa 2004 | Corínthia Alfa Hotel, Lisboa 2004 | Exhibition of the finalists of the 1st Rothschild Painting Prize, promoted by Banque Privée Edmond Rothschild Europe, Lisboa 2003 | Galeria Maria Lucília Cruz, Lisboa 2001 | Espace Culturel de la Pommerage, Genval, Brussels 2001 | Spattium Gallery, Tavira 1999 | Culturgest, Fidelidade Insurance Company Award, Lisboa 1999 | “Nine Light Steps”, Collaboration with Nuno G. Mello, Havering College, London 1999 | Casa das Artes, Tavira 1998 | Sintra City Council, D. Fernando I Prize, 1998 | Spattium Gallery, Tavira 1997 | Portuguese Rotary Foundation, participated in several exhibitions as part of the award Porto and Évora 1996 | Évora City Council, 1995 | Amadora Municipal Gallery, 1994 | S.N.B.A., Lisboa 1993/95
Awards
2014
Artist Residency at Fundação Oriente, Macau
1st prize in the Open Gallery (XV Competition), Jorge Vieira Museum, Escudeiros Municipal Gallery, Beja
2007
Honorable mention for the work "S/Título" - Artur Bual Painting and Sculpture Prize, Amadora.
2006
2nd prize for "Do Tempo", 8th Young Artists Prize, Fidelidade/ Mundial, Lisbon
2004
Finalist for the 1st Rothchild Painting Prize Banque Privée Edmond Rothchild Europe, Lisbon
2003
Honorable mention for the work "Flamenco" — Sintra City Council — Dom Fernando I Prize
1998
Special Jury Honorable Mention for the work "Viver", Portuguese Rotary Foundation
1996