João Motta Guedes (1995). He began his academic career with a degree in Law at the University of Lisbon (PT), participated in the Pontifical Catholic University exchange program in Rio de Janeiro (BR), and completed an International and European Master's Degree in Law at the NOVA University of Law in Lisbon (PT), having participated as a researcher in various academic publications and conferences. In 2019, he decided to dedicate himself to his artistic thinking and practice, which have always gone hand in hand through poetry over the years, finishing his Master's Degree in Painting at the University of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon (PT).
His solo exhibitions include: “You came to start the revolution” (2023), at Galeria Zé dos Bois; “How to Live?” (2023), at Galeria NAVE; and “No feeling is final” (2024), at Galeria Municipal da Boavista. He recently held the Glogauair residency in Berlin (DE); and among others, he has taken part in several group exhibitions such as the “Young Art Prize” (2023), “False twins” (2023) at Appleton Square, “The garden of forking paths” (2023) at Buraco, and, promoted by Galeria NAVE, the exhibitions “A dream brought me here” (2024); “Be my guest"(2024), at Galeria NAVE; ‘Wanderlust’, at Artes Mota Galiza in Porto and ‘(0 /1) o zero e o um’; at the National Museum of Natural History and Science (MUNHAC), in Lisbon.
João Motta Guedes explores concepts of freedom, vulnerability, love and violence. His artistic productions reflect life as a metaphor for a journey where different paths emerge, allowing the discovery and sharing of experiences about the meaning of feeling and being human. His artistic language appears in media such as installation, sculpture, photography, drawing, the written word and poetry, and has a predominantly projective and experimental character. Based on a discourse and poetic narratives, he seeks to question the way forward through dreamlike expressions that elevate the observer to a utopian look at society and life, resulting in a comprehensive record of symbolic and metaphorical images that highlight poetry as an answer to the questions posed.