About Me
Immortalizing memories
Bio
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Madalena Pequito (Lisbon, 1996)
Madalena Pequito studied at Escola Artística António Arroio, earned a degree in Painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts of Lisbon, and completed a master’s in Arts and Cultural Enterprise at Central Saint Martins in London. Throughout her career, she has actively participated in various projects and fostered dialogue with other artists and professionals in the field, notably as part of the collective Vês.Três. She has been an artist-in-residence at Anjos70, Núcleo A70, and Casa da Dona Laura and is currently part of the FANICO studio.
Her work explores themes of identity, cultural differences, and collective memory. She investigates the connection between tree roots and human relationships, reflecting on how they help us preserve our families, cultures, and sense of identity. Her work also addresses the challenges she faces as an artist, including sacrifices, insecurities, anxieties, and fears. In addition to painting, her practice extends into spatial explorations through pictorial installations.
In 2023, Pequito was awarded the FLAD prize, which funded her artistic residencies in New York at Kunstraum LLC and Mothership. Following her residency, she was invited to hold the solo exhibition "Shared Roots / Private Jokes" in March 2024 at Freight+Volume Gallery in Tribeca, Manhattan. This exhibition was financially supported by FLAD, with institutional backing from the Instituto Camões and the Consulate General of Portugal in New York.
She has participated in two International Biennials: Contextile Biennial in Guimarães (2022) and ArtFem Macau Biennial (2018). She was a finalist in various art competitions, including the Young Creators Art Prize, the International Arts Prize of Guarda, and the Paula Rego Prize, and received an Honorable Mention at the Jovarte Biennial (2019).
Pequito has held several solo exhibitions, including: Migas Para Um, Erva Art Corner, Lisbon (2025); Shared Roots / Private Jokes, Freight+Volume Gallery, New York (2024); Como Construir um Vilão?, Passe Vite Gallery, Lisbon (2023); UnderWater, Thank You Mama Gallery, Lisbon (2022); We Need to Talk, A-Space Gallery, Lisbon (2021).
She has also participated in group exhibitions, including: Corrente de Ar, Hub Criativo do Beato, Lisbon (2024); The Low Spark of High-Heeled Boys, Freight+Volume Gallery, New York (2023); Limpezas de Primavera, Graça Brandão Gallery, Lisbon (2023); São ou Não, São Mamede Gallery, Lisbon (2022); AMAGAO, AMAGAO Gallery, Macau (2021); Busman Holliday, Lábor Gallery, Budapest (2017)
Artist statement
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I painted a tree that had been cut down. Yet its colors remained vivid and saturated because its roots were still intertwined with those of other trees. They communicate, warn each other of dangers, and provide mutual support. Even when one is cut down, it is never truly alone. The soil knows. The other trees know.
In the same way, a family preserves the memories of its members—their stories, their private jokes that only make sense within that unique ecosystem of affection. It is through this exchange of memories that we create a collective identity.
Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about the idea of sharing stories, especially imagined ones. When we tell them, we give them a new body, a new tone, a new emotion. But while we cultivate memories, we also live in an age of historical amnesia, where some try to erase the history of others. Would preserving all memories be an act of resistance? Or just a refusal to let the past remain in the past?
I let my daily life influence my painting.
My practice explores themes of identity, migration, collective memory, and cultural preservation. In my recent works, trees and their roots have become a reflection of our human relationships—how we connect, how we preserve our differences, and how we keep the memory of who we are alive. Amid all this, I find myself asking: What is my role as an artist? I explore the challenges, sacrifices, uncertainties, and fears that arise along this path. I wonder if artists can truly impact the world. Do I let myself be carried away by emotion too much?
My creative process flows between words and images. It often begins with a fleeting thought, a quick note in my sketchbook or phone. Sometimes, I write first and then paint based on that idea. Other times, the image comes before the text. Still, I see both as independent entities because I believe in the aesthetic power of painting itself.
I am driven by colors, textures, and contrasts. I seek the unfinished, exploring patterns and organic forms. Even when I depict figurative objects, I place them within abstract compositions. Through pictorial installations, I create fantasy-like worlds where painting transcends the canvas, invading space and objects.
I also engage in participatory projects because I believe in the power of encounters, the exchange of ideas, and collective creation. The outcome is always unpredictable, but that uncertainty reflects the essence of my practice: to provoke collaboration, encourage discussion, and share perspectives on the challenges we face as a society.