Helena Almeida (Lisbon, Portugal, 1934–2018) produced a singular work during the 1960s characterised by a profound interest in the body and its central place — that records, occupies and defines space — and its performative encounter with the world. The first abstract canvases by the artist were a critical approach to the limits of the pictorial space and the literal conditions of painting. That interest extended to photography in the 1070s, when the distinctive space of the artist’s studio and of the female body, fragmented and partially obscured, became recurring presences. Helena Almeida meticulously outlines a choreography in the composition of her works, with drawings and sketches that highlight her use of the colour and the body, an example of which is the series Inhabited Paintings [Pinturas Habitadas] (1975).

This exhibition brings together a selection of works by Helena Almeida drawn from the important group of works by the artist held in the Serralves Collection, integrating as well as a set of works from the Luso-American Development Foundation (FLAD) Collection. This initiative is part of the Touring Exhibitions Programme of the Serralves Collection, which aims to make the Foundation’s collection accessible to different Audiences across the country.

Production: Fundação de Serralves — Museu de Arte Contemporânea, Porto