Joana Galego, born in 1994 in Cascais, a picturesque town nestled between the Sintra mountains and the Atlantic Ocean, in Lisbon district of Portugal, located along the Portuguese Riviera. Joana pursued her academic journey by focusing on Painting at the University of Lisbon. However, her artistic path took an intriguing turn when she relocated to London for the Drawing Year, driven by her desire to shift away from the use of childhood photographs as her primary artistic references.
Joana’s creative interests revolve around language, exploring the multifaceted aspects of love, its various forms, and the enigmatic spaces left by its absence. She delves into the human psyche’s simultaneous hesitancy and excitement when confronted with matters of the heart. Joana is fascinated by drawing’s intricate dance with imperfection and its beautiful relationship with failure. Today, her artistic process is centred on memories, keen observational studies, and, indeed, old photographs.
Galego lives and works in Lewisham in London and is a member and studio holder of Artists Co-op Lewisham Arthouse.
Education
2016-2017 The Drawing Year, MA-level post-graduate course at the Royal Drawing School, London, UK
2012-2016 Painting BA, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Lisbon, Portugal
Teaching Work
Since 2021 Making Works, Clarion Futures in partnership with Lewisham Arthouse, London
Since 2021 Cover tutor at Hampstead School of Arts
2021 Masterclass at Lisbon Drawing Club, Lisbon
Since 2020 Visiting tutor at Royal Drawing School, London
2019 – 2020 Eltham College, London
Since 2017 Chelsea Fine Arts, London
Solo Shows
2022 (upcoming) Soho Revue, London
2019 spring and all – The Sir Denis Mahon Award Show, Royal Drawing School, London, UK
2016 o lugar indeciso, Museu das Artes de Sintra, Portugal
Selected Two Person and Group Shows
2022 Aleph Contemporary Booth, London Art Fair
Out of Nowhere, Soho Revue
A Drawing Show, Paint Talk
Split Open, The Split Gallery, London
2021 This is Where We Meet, Carousel London
What I See I WIll Never Tell, Wilder Gallery London
Mostra, Lisbon
Insider/ Outsider, Two person show at The In and Out Club, London
Silhouettes and Vignettes, Crownpoint Space, Glasgow
2020 Reflections, Aleph Contemporary (online)
Original Paper, Wilder Gallery (online)
Tangled up in blue, Purslane Art (online)
2019 A High Hang , Eccleston Project Space, London
Home, MSMR Architects, London
Lameiro, Porto, Portugal
Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize 2019, Trinity Buoy Wharf, London
Summer 2-person show, Serena Morton Gallery, London
FRESH AIR / HOT SAUCE, Arebyte Studios, London
estoutro, Espaço Cultural das Mercês, Lisbon
2018 The Sir Denis Mahon Award at the Royal Drawing School, British Museum, London
Downsizing, Cave Space, London
2017 The Drawing Year 2016-17, End of Year Exhibition, London
The Best of the Drawing Year, Christies, London
Painting Final Degree Show, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Lisbon, Portugal
2016 40 graus à sombra, Casa das Artes Mário Elias, Mértola, Portugal
Spring Salon / Queen Isabel de Bragança Prize, Casino Estoril, Lisboa, Portugal
Chiado, Carmo, metropolis e u-topia, Lisboa, Portugal; Vitória, Brasil; and Paris, France
Artistic Residencies
2021 Dumfries House, Scotland
2019 Holker Hall – Research and Drawing Weekend, UK
2018 The Drawing Marathon (in partnership with The Royal Drawing School), RISD, Providence, USA 2017 Summer Painting Residency in Pignano with the Royal Drawing School , Italy
2016 RÉSVÉS Mértola, Mértola, Portugal
Awards and Bursaries
2019 Shortlisted, Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize 2019
2017 The Sir Denis Mahon Award
The Drawing Marathon at RISD Residency Award
2016 Full Scholarship, The Drawing Year, MA-level postgraduate programme at the RDS, London, UK.
Shortlisted, Queen Isabel de Bragança Prize, Casino Estoril, Lisboa, Portugal
Shortlisted, 1st Paula Rego Award, Lisbon, Portugal
2015 Honourable Mention, Casa das Artes de Tavira’s 30 Years, Tavira, Portugal
Collections
The Royal Collection (UK), Sir Michael Moritz & Harriet Heyman’s Collection
Private collections in the UK, USA, Portugal, Italy and Germany