Martim Melo de Vilhena (Lisbon, 2002) is a visual artist whose work focuses on the representation of the human figure, alchemical processes, and experimentation with natural dyeing, textiles, and acrylic painting. He lives and works in Lisbon.
He began his artistic path in 2020 with the Drawing I – Introduction course at Nextart, where he developed skills in translating three-dimensional reality into two-dimensional representation. That same year, he apprenticed at the Portuguese Printmaking Centre (CPS) under Master Humberto Marçal, gaining essential knowledge of printmaking and creating a body of work in intaglio.
In 2025, he completed his BA in Visual Arts at Universidade Lusófona, complemented by a Natural Dyeing course at the Dyer’s Market in Marrakech. Since 2021, he has exhibited regularly, participating in group shows at institutions such as the Galeria Municipal Vieira da Silva, Prata Riverside Village, and Universidade Lusófona, including Philoxenia (2022–2024) and Over&Out (2022–2024).
His practice has also extended to public and institutional projects, such as a mural painting for the S. João de Deus Clinic (2023) and a live painting session at Espada, Lisbon (2025).
In November 2024, he was awarded the A Brasileira do Chiado Painting Prize for his work Mapa Mudo, a distinction that inscribes his practice within the century-long tradition of one of Lisbon’s most iconic cultural spaces.
With a strong interest in collaborations and artistic residencies, Martim Melo de Vilhena continues to expand his practice through the intersections of technique, materiality, and aesthetic reflection, consolidating his voice within the Portuguese contemporary art scene.
CONTACTS | CONTACTOS
EDUCATION
2025 Bachelor Degree in Artes Visuais, by ECATI/ULUSOFONA.
2021 Engraving Internship by CPS - Portuguese Printmaking Centre.
2020 Desenho I - Initiation by Nextart.
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COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS
2024 Over&Out, Terreiro do Paço Metro Station. Lisbom.
2024 Starting Point #2 Galeria Municipal Vieira da Silva. Lisbon.
2024 Philoxenia, ULusófona Campus. Lisbon.​
2023 Over&Out, Prata Riverside Village. Lisbon.
2023 Philoxenia, ULusófona Campus. Lisbon.
2022 Over&Out, Underground. Prata Riverside Village. Lisbon.
2022 Philoxenia, ULusófona Campus. Lisbon.
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PROJECTS
2023 Mural Painting, Clínica S. João de Deus, Lisbon.
AWARDS
2024 National Painting Prize d’ A Brasileira do Chiado for the artwork “Mapa Mudo”
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