Francisca Valador
Francisca Valador (1993, Lisbon) lives and works in Lisbon. She studied painting at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon and holds a Postgraduate Course in Artistic Practices and Pedagogical Processes at Maria Ulrich, Lisbon.
Her work is characterized by paintings and installations that incorporate collected objects, arranged in a way to create new narratives and meanings. She works with small elements that, despite their minimal scale, suggest a larger scenario, respecting the scale of the represented motifs and imbuing them with a symbolic character. The objects, which may seem trivial or insignificant individually, acquire new life when combined, echoing the still life tradition. For the arrangements, Valador focuses on natural elements such as flowers, fruits, seeds, or insects. More recently, she started using paper as an important element in her work - by cutting, folding, or overlapping, she creates new drawings and more abstract figures. These distinct fragments come together in a constructive manner, forming a whole that invites the viewer to reflect on the relationships between the objects and the spaces they inhabit.
Since 2016, she has participated in various projects and exhibitions, including: It was night and a deer crossed the road, Casa do Comum, Lisbon, PT (2023); Porta entreaberta, Travessa do Guarda-Joias 9, Lisbon, PT (2023); Algum desenho a partir de Gaëtan. Works from the Alberto Caetano collection, Casa da Cerca - Contemporary Art Center, Lisbon, PT (2023); Oneiroikos, Brotéria, Lisbon, PT (2022); COLLETTIVA #1, MONITOR, Petreto, IT (2022); Depois do banquete, Teatro Thalia, Lisbon, PT (2022); Manta Ray, Matèria, Rome, IT (2021); Dip me in the river, drop me in the water!, Pedro Cera Gallery, Lisbon, PT (2021); Chain Reaction #6: Las Palmas - Apophenia, Culturgest, Oporto, PT (2021); A Longa Sombra, Maus Hábitos, Oporto, PT (2021); Homework, Madragoa Gallery, Lisbon, PT (2020); I Will Take The Risk, AZAN Tomaz Hipolito Studio, Lisbon, PT (2019); Subterrâneo (collab with Eduardo Fonseca e Silva), Geological Museum, Lisbon (2018); The dog is very confused, FOCO Gallery, Lisbon, PT (2018); Corda Bamba (collab with Eduardo Fonseca e Silva), Ateneu Comercial, Lisbon (2016). Francisca was awarded the Flechada – New Support Program for First Solo Exhibitions, FLAD (2024) and Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Visual Arts Grant (2023).
Gallery Exhibitions