José Guimarães

JOSÉ GUIMARÃES (Portugal, 1939).
Untitled. Negreiros Series, 2011.
Polychrome iron.
Signed on the base.
Measurements: 120 x 50 x 18 cm.
This sculpture, depicting the profile of a woman of African descent, is part of the Negreiros series, created by José de Guimarães in 2011. Comprising drawings, paintings, sculptures, and monotypes, this series constitutes a reflection on the human figure—especially the female form—rendered through bold silhouettes and volumetric forms of great expressive power.
In the works of *Negreiros*, the artist moves away from individualized representation to construct images of a symbolic and universal nature. The figures are rendered through simple outlines and cut-out profiles reminiscent of shadows or graphic symbols. In this sculpture, specific facial features are barely discernible, yet a collective identity linked to African cultural memory—one of the main themes in Guimarães’s artistic career—is clearly perceptible. The formal simplification characteristic of this series lends the figures great visual power and encourages an interpretation that transcends the personal to delve into issues related to identity, cultural heritage, and the representation of the body.
José de Guimarães, the artistic name of José Maria Fernandes Marques, is one of the most prominent figures in contemporary Portuguese art. Born in Guimarães in 1939, he began studying engineering at the Technical University of Lisbon while simultaneously pursuing artistic training in painting and printmaking. His technical knowledge and interest in formal structures would later influence his artistic practice.
A turning point in his career was his stay in Angola between 1967 and 1974. Direct contact with African cultures profoundly transformed his artistic language and gave rise to a visual universe of his own, based on symbols, signs, and references drawn from African, pre-Columbian, and Eastern traditions. Since then, his work has explored the dialogue between different cultures, integrating elements from a wide variety of sources into compositions of great formal and chromatic richness.
Throughout his career, he has received numerous awards and participated in major international exhibitions. His works are part of prestigious collections and institutions in Europe, the Americas, and Asia, cementing his position as one of Portugal’s most internationally renowned artists. The *Negreiros* series encapsulates many of the themes present in his mature work: a fascination with the language of signs, the influence of African art, and the search for essential forms capable of expressing shared experiences and identities.