pastel and charcoal on paper, custom made studsMadragoa
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In "Benny Blown Away #4," Luís Lázaro Matos employs vibrant colors and fluid shapes, depicting two human-like figures with dolphin heads intertwined among surreal landscapes. The composition blends elements like trees and wavy ribbons, creating a whimsical scene set against a starry sky. The artistic style is playful yet intricate, reflecting a modern take on identity and relationships. Matos’ work, often addressing identity politics and queerness, integrates personal and digital native experiences, offering metaphorical portraits of today’s societal dynamics. ...
Apparently lighthearted and playful, Luís Lázaro Matos’ works actually investigate complex dynamics dealing with current social and philosophical constructions shaping contemporary forms of narrative. In his lush and colourful graphic figurations humor and drama coexist, opening up discourses which allude to both intimate and social dynamics, often dealing with identity politics and queerness. As metaphorical portraits of today’s communal aesthetic, imbued with his personal experiences as a digital native, Luís Lázaro Matos’ works reveal shared emotional images. ...
MADRAGOA is a contemporary art gallery founded in 2016 in the homonymous neighborhood of Lisbon’s historical center. Since its beginning, the gallery has been an early supporter of a number of international young artists such as Adrián Balseca, Rodrigo Hernández, Renato Leotta, Buhlebezwe Siwani, Joanna Piotrowska, and Yuli Yamagata, whose first productions and exhibition have been produced and promoted by the gallery and often presented for the first time in Portugal. Moreover, Madragoa launched the careers of young Portuguese artists such as Sara Chang Yan, Luís Lázaro Matos, Gonçalo Preto, and Jaime Welsh, giving them visibility on the international scene. From its peripheral location in Europe, MADRAGOA’s project focuses on how to set a deep conversation with the city and its extraordinary potential, setting a dialogue between global artistic practices and local craftsmanship and ideas. The gallery always created experiences of research and production for its artists locally and promotes its program also through the participation in a number of international art fairs, gallery exchanges, and exhibition projects. MADRAGOA is currently recognized as one of the most innovative realities in the Portuguese art scene, while it succeeded to obtain visibility internationally throughout its years of its activity. At the moment, the gallery actively represents artists from Portugal, Italy, Ecuador, Mexico, Poland, Spain, Brazil and South Africa. ...
