THE ARTIST · LISBON
Rui Carruço
Between the figure
and abstraction.
Rui Carruço is a Portuguese visual artist with a studio in Restelo, Lisbon. His painting brings together figuration and abstraction through geometry, colour and texture.
Figures, urban landscapes and still lifes become starting points for exploring movement and perception. Vertical divisions and impasto give rhythm to his compositions, leaving room for the viewer’s interpretation.
BIOGRAPHY
A path between art and thought.
Following an academic background in the exact sciences, he developed his artistic training in drawing, printmaking and Renaissance painting techniques in Lisbon and Florence. The relationship between structure and gesture runs through his work: geometry organises the image, while colour and texture open up new ways of seeing.
In 2013, he co-founded the Atelier Internacional de Belas Artes in Lisbon. His career includes solo exhibitions and group projects in Portugal and abroad. Writing is also part of his practice: his novel Sombras da Arte was published in 2022.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS
Selected CV
A selection of training, exhibitions and recognitions.
Training
- 2000DrawingSociedade Nacional de Belas Artes, Lisbon
- 2003PrintmakingCooperativa de Gravadores Portugueses
- 2004Renaissance painting techniquesAngel Academy of Arts, Florence
Solo exhibitions
- 2026Entre o Abstrato e o InstanteCNAP — Clube Nacional de Artes Plásticas, Lisbon
- 2023Equilíbrio das FormasCasino Estoril Art Gallery
- 2023EssênciaIdentidade project, Coletivo 284, Lisbon
- 2020Inquietude do SerGaleria Municipal Artur Bual, Amadora
Recognitions
- 2024Saatchi ArtWorks selected for Editorial Collections
- 2020Amália Rodrigues PrizeSelected for the exhibition, Galeria António Prates, Lisbon
- 2017Prix Spécial20th Salon d’Art Contemporain de Paris
Explore the full record of exhibitions, distinctions, collections, publications and interviews.
View full CVIN HIS OWN WORDS
Meet the artist.
A video introduction to Rui Carruço and his artistic world.
Explore exhibitions
WRITING
Sombras da Arte
Rui Carruço’s first novel, published in Portuguese in 2022, draws on his experience of the art world.
Discover the book