Collection: Maria José Porto, visual artist

Maria José Porto is a Brazilian visual artist from Paraíba, with a degree in Social Work from the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB). She lived in Portugal for six years, where she completed advanced courses with Silva Mind Control International. It was during this period that she developed a deeper connection with visual arts. Upon returning to Brazil, she settled in João Pessoa and immersed herself in painting, focusing on portraying the sea not from the outside, but from within. Through her Acrylic on Canvas technique, she invites viewers into a world of infinite contemplation, exploring the depths of the ocean with unique color palettes and textures rarely seen or felt in everyday life.

In addition to painting, Maria José works across multiple techniques such as oil on canvas, pastels, watercolor, woodcut printmaking (xilogravura), pen-and-ink drawing, and photography. Her artistic education includes professional painting courses with Fred Svendsen (2002), Brazilian Art History (FUNJOPE, 2003), woodcut printmaking, watercolor, canvas texturing, and digital photography workshops, among others.

She has participated in important exhibitions and salons in Brazil, including the 14th and 15th Visual Arts Salons of Teresina (PI), the Guilherme Hortêncio Salon (João Pessoa), and held solo exhibitions at the Federal Senate (Brasília), as well as cultural centers in João Pessoa, Campina Grande, and Rio de Janeiro. Her work has been featured in numerous group exhibitions at Galeria Gamela de Arte and other notable galleries.

Internationally, she has made a mark in Portugal with solo shows in Lisbon, including ACQUA (2022), IMMERSUS (2022), and DEEP OCEAN (2024). She also took part in the VII Biennial of Lusophone Cultures (Odivelas), the exhibition Dualidade at the Casino de Lisboa, and the Universo Feminino exhibition in Lisbon. In Germany, she exhibited at the Art Open Festival (Eschweiler) in 2014 and 2016, as well as at Tag Der Offenen Tür (Rhens, 2014), Leichtigkeit (Köln, 2016), and Abstraction und Immersion (Aachen, 2017).

Among her recognitions, she received an Honorable Mention at the Biennial of Arts SESC/DF (2016). Maria José Porto has built a solid trajectory where art and nature intersect, gaining recognition for her unique underwater representations that explore immersion as a visual metaphor for introspection and contemplation.