Collection: Clara Ferrão, visual artist

Artist featured by Art Gallery The One in a collection.

Clara Ferrão (born in Coimbra, 1951) is a retired academic and visual artist who paints under the artistic name Antígona. She holds a degree in Romance Philology from the University of Coimbra, a Master’s and PhD in Linguistics from Université Paris 3 – Sorbonne Nouvelle, and a postdoctoral qualification (Agregação) in Education from the University of Aveiro. She served as a Coordinating Professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Santarém and collaborated with doctoral programmes at various national and international universities. In 2011, she was honoured by the Association Portugaise d’Études Françaises in partnership with several academic institutions.

She began her artistic practice in 2011, developing a body of work influenced by her background in communication, literature, and the arts. Her paintings reflect a dialogue between her academic identity and her artistic alter ego, Antígona, incorporating cultural references and diverse voices—especially those of women from interdisciplinary fields.

Antígona has exhibited widely in Portugal and internationally, with multiple solo exhibitions since 2017 in Coimbra, Arganil, Almeirim, and other cultural venues. She has also participated in numerous group exhibitions, including international salons, biennials, and exhibitions in Spain and Belgium. Her work is held in a permanent exhibition at the Fundação Eugénio Leite in Coimbra.

Her artistic achievements include silver medals at the International Small Format Art Salon (2018) and at the Artcom Salon International des Artistes in Brussels (2023), as well as an honorable mention in 2020.