E, no final Começou (Almada Negreiros 130 anos do nascimento)

To produce a work on Almada Negreiros to commemorate the 130th anniversary of his birth is a privilege and an opportunity to portray an inescapable figure of Portuguese modernism. Without exhausting Almada's vast and diverse output - which includes drawing, painting, essays, novels, poetry, dramaturgy and ballet - we have chosen to summarise, in imagery, elements that symbolise a significant part of his work and career.

Among the elements represented are the map of São Tomé and Príncipe, where he was born in 1893, accompanied by the image of an unborn baby and the year of his birth; a star on the ‘Começar’ panel, marking his death in Lisbon in 1970; the most emblematic portrait referenced in the Gulbenkian text, as well as Almada's own self-portrait. The links reproduced evoke the connection he had with Fernando Pessoa, whose presence is reinforced by his two symmetrical portraits. The work closes with an excerpt highlighting the phrase ‘If I were blind I would love everyone’, published in Orpheu Magazine no. 1.

Year: 2023 | Size: Diptych (2x) 70x100 (cm) | Technique: Acrylic on cotton canvas (reverse side)