Julio Pomar

Júlio Pomar was a prominent figure of the Portuguese modernist movement, who explored various styles and techniques throughout his long and prolific career. He started as a neo-realist painter, depicting the harsh realities of the working class and the oppressed under the dictatorship of Salazar. He was also involved in political activism and resistance, which led him to be arrested and persecuted several times. He moved to Paris in 1963, where he experimented with different forms of expressionism, abstraction, and collage. He was influenced by artists such as Picasso, Matisse, Dubuffet, and Bacon. He also drew inspiration from literature, mythology, history, and popular culture. He created works that were vibrant, colorful, dynamic, and sometimes humorous or erotic. He returned to Portugal after the 1974 revolution and continued to produce paintings, drawings, ceramics, sculptures, and writings until his death in 2018. He was widely recognized and honored for his artistic achievements, both nationally and internationally. He received several awards, such as the Gulbenkian Prize, the Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso Prize, and the Order of Liberty. He also founded the Júlio Pomar Foundation, which houses his personal collection and organizes exhibitions and cultural events.