Rui Sanches
Portuguese artist Rui Sanches was born in Lisbon in 1954. He did his first artistic studies at Ar.Co and afterwards at the Goldsmith College (1977-1980) and at Yale University (1980-1982). From 1994 through 1998 he was deputy director at Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation’s CAMJAP, and he maintains an active collaboration in teaching at various institutions like the University of the Algarve and Ar.Co, among others. In 1987, he was part of the Portuguese representation at the S. Paulo biennale and had several group and individual exhibitions, in Portugal and abroad, namely: “Desenhos” [Drawings] and “Et in Arcadia Ego, etc.”, both in 1984, at SNBA and Galeria Diferença, respectively; “Alguns santos e uma figura pouco católica”, at Galeria Atlântico, in 1990 and “Escultura + Desenho” (2000, Pavilhão Branco, Museu da Cidade). In 2001, he had his first retrospective exhibition and the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. In 2004, he installed definitely the work “Colunata” in the new building of the Republic’s Assembly, highlighting 100 years of the Session Chamber at the Parliament, besides his public work in Portugal and abroad. In London, he initiated a process of experimental work on space, using pre-fabricated materials such as boxes, glass, mirrors, among others to create composition games, complemented with scratches on the floor and on the walls, a research that will integrate his future work. Furthermore, he dedicated himself to the study of Marcel Duchamp’s optic works, and several perspective treaties, gradually developing an interest for the neoclassic and baroque painting, reflecting on the formal relations generated between space, light, but also texture and colour, exploring, simultaneously the concepts of history and time. His work also includes drawing, which he develops regularly, and painting, with anthological exhibitions in these artistic practices in Lisbon, in 2014 and 2016 respectively.
His work is represented in various institutions and private collections, in Portugal and abroad.
JCP, October 2020
