About

Artur Leão, born in 1997, is a visual artist, designer and vocalist (Benthik Zone) based in Porto. He started working as a designer for scopio Editions, where he developed a special care for the art of visual storytelling and bookmaking. Since then, he has focused on developing photographic projects that reveal his inner process of imaginative transmutation while searching for archaeological sites, virgin and untouched-looking landscapes and people connected to the rural world in his forefather’s land. In his work, connections between poetry, mythology, and religion arise through a gaze that mirrors the language of “nature” in its incomprehensible complexity and reconditeness. He always captures scenarios where he sees potential for channelling a mystical dimension onto the surface of the image.

Education – Master’s degree in Visual Arts. Artistic Practices and Research at Escola Superior Artística do Porto (2021).

Group Shows – Do Not Touch Fresh Paint! at Espaço MIRA, Porto, Portugal (2018); Visual Spaces of Change at Ci.CLO Photography Biennale, Porto, Portugal (2019); The Landscape Voices at Exhibition Pavilion FBAUP, Porto, Portugal (2023); Fresh Eyes Talents at Haute Photographie, Rotterdam, Netherlands (2024); ImageNation at Galerie Joseph Le Palais, Paris, France (2024); You’re Innocent in Your Dreams, Tokyo, ZERO art space (2024).

Screenings – Playlist #25, Café Candelabro, Porto, Portugal (2018); SUMMER showcase, Mutant Radio, Tbilisi, Georgia (2023).

Press and Features – Loud (2022); Landscape Stories (2023); Bad to the Bone (2023); Zerofeedback (2023); Umbigo (2024).

Publications – Fendas Intemporais, scopio Editions (2021); Fresh Eyes International, GUP Magazine (2024); 3rd Collective Book, Zone Magazine (2024); Familiar Strangers, ephemere (2024); Imperfect Poetry, Float Magazine (2024); MOON, DITO Publishing (2024); Fresh Eyes International, GUP Magazine (2024).

Grants and Awards – Foto Slovo Award (2024), Honorable Mention; IPE 166 (2024), shortlist.

Residencies – Imersão na Paisagem, Caminhar, Parar, Reparar (2019); DÍNAMO gallery (2024).

Curation – Contrast III: Alteridade, Ausência e Origem, Portuguese Center of Photography (2024).