Álvaro Lapa

Álvaro Lapa He was born in Évora in 1939. Licensed in Philosophy by the Faculty of Letters of the University of Lisbon. His adolescence was marked by contact, in Évora, with the painter António Charrua and with the writer Virgílio Ferreira, who awakened interest in art and literature.

In 1956 he settles in Lisbon. He then enrolled in law and later in philosophy, a degree he concluded in 1975. In 1961 he traveled to Paris, where he contacted with close painters of surrealism and with American artistic movements.

When he returns he begins to paint, encouraged by António Areaal, conceiving works of strong abstract and informal vocation. He exposes individually for the first time in 1964 and the following year changes to Lagos. In this period he explores the use of "non-noble" materials and begins to structure their work in narrative series, in which it integrates a restricted set of symbols and forms, also inserting the written word as an element of plastic composition.

He joins as professor of theoretical chairs of the High School of Fine Arts in Porto in 1976 and settled in that city. In the 1980s he catches knowledge with José-Augusto France, who guides him in his doctoral thesis on surrealism in Portugal. In parallel with plastic production, Lapa was continuously dedicated to writing, having been the author of numerous publications.

He was distinguished with several premiums, including the 3rd Prize of the Lagos Art Hall (1970), the AICA Award (1987) and the EDP Prize (2004).

He died on 11 February 2006 in Porto. ver menos