Portimão Museum Presents Anthological Exhibition Featuring Paintings and Ceramics by Querubim Lapa
On Saturday, December 7, the Portimão Museum inaugurated the anthological exhibition “Querubim Lapa: Painting and Ceramics” as part of the official City Day celebrations.
The exhibition stays open until April 27, 2025, offering visitors more time to explore the artist’s legacy.
Curated by Sofia Nunes, the show honours the centenary of Querubim Lapa, a Portimão native whose work profoundly influenced modern Portuguese art. Renowned as both a painter and a trailblazer in ceramics, Lapa played a pivotal role in the neo-realist movement and remains celebrated as one of Portugal’s most influential 20th-century ceramicists.
Querubim Lapa career
Spanning an impressive career from 1925 to 2016, Querubim Lapa masterfully blended painting and ceramics, thereby creating a dialogue between these two art forms. This interplay is showcased through seven thematic sections, which are arranged chronologically over two floors of the museum. Moreover, the exhibition includes a total of 94 works created between 1946 and 1994, offering a comprehensive exploration of his artistic evolution.
What you can expect from this exhibition
Significantly, the pieces on display are sourced from a combination of national museums and private collections. For instance, among these works is a large tile panel from 1960, which was recently acquired by the Portimão Municipality. Notably, this particular piece, depicting characters and motifs in a magical allegory of the sea, aligns seamlessly with the museum’s focus on fishing themes.
To begin with, the exhibition showcases paintings and drawings from Lapa’s early neo-realist period. Following this, it transitions to his initial ventures into ceramics and the lyrical phase of his painting. In addition, the narrative highlights his bold experimentation with ceramics in the 1960s and 1970s, which ran parallel to his advancements in painting during the same era.
As the journey continues, visitors encounter a climactic series of tile panels from the early 1990s. These works reveal Lapa’s engagement with perceptual games inspired by Portuguese tile art’s origins, alongside clear influences from op art and concretism.
In summary, the exhibition provides a comprehensive journey through Querubim Lapa’s multifaceted career, celebrating the diverse artistic languages he mastered.
Institutional Lenders:
The exhibition has been made possible through contributions from esteemed institutions, including:
- AICEP – Portugal Global
- Gulbenkian Modern Art Center
- EGEAC/Museum of Lisbon
- Millennium bcp Foundation
- National Museum of Contemporary Art – Chiado Museum
- National Tile Museum
- Museum of Neo-Realism
- Ovar Museum
- Various private collectors
Biographical Note on Querubim Lapa:
Querubim Lapa, born in 1925 in Portimão, actively engaged in artistic education and practice throughout his life. Between 1942 and 1947, he studied at the António Arroio School and earned a Sculpture degree from the Lisbon School of Fine Arts in 1953. His relentless pursuit of artistic growth culminated in a Painting degree in 1978.
As a leading figure of the third modernist generation, Lapa began creating paintings and ceramics in 1945, maintaining an impressive output until 2009. Rooted initially in neo-realist ideals, he played a central role in influential exhibitions, including the General Exhibitions of Plastic Arts at Lisbon’s National Society of Fine Arts (1949–1956) and the Independents Exhibitions in Porto (1950).
By the mid-1950s, Lapa’s style transitioned to a more lyrical approach, marked by in formalist techniques from 1963 to 1973. This shift reflected his deconstruction of traditional pictorial spaces through modernist approaches. After the April 25, 1974 Revolution, his work incorporated political themes, skilfully blending pop art elements with poignant critiques of social violence.
In 1954, Lapa entered the field of ceramics at the Viúva Lamego Factory, where he became a pioneer in modernizing the medium. His innovations in modelling, glazing, and colour techniques elevated ceramics as an art form, producing works ranging from monumental architectural tile panels to intricate small-scale pieces.
As a teacher at António Arroio School (1954–1996), Lapa actively mentored new generations, leading ceramics workshops and leaving a lasting impact on his students and the field of ceramics.
Grand Officer of the Military Order of Saint James
Recognized for his contributions, Lapa received numerous honours, including the title of Grand Officer of the Military Order of Saint James of the Sword in 2015, the year before his death. His legacy endures as a transformative force in modern Portuguese art.
