Pedro Cabrita Reis

Pedro Cabrita Reis is a Portuguese artist. He is known for his sculptural installations, which often use everyday materials and found objects to explore themes of memory, place, and the relationship between space and architecture.

Pedro Cabrita Reis: Early Life and Education

Pedro Cabrita Reis, born in Lisbon in 1956, currently resides and works in his hometown. He emerged as one of Portugal's most internationally renowned artists, crucial for the understanding of sculpture from the mid-1980s onwards. His journey began with a degree from the Faculty of Fine Arts at the University of Lisbon, where he also founded and directed the magazine Arte Opinião (1978-1982). Cabrita Reis' artistic trajectory commenced with his first solo exhibition, "25 Desenhos" [25 Drawings], held at the Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes in 1981.

Pedro Cabrita Reis' Art Style

Cabrita Reis' oeuvre encompasses painting, sculpture, photography, and drawing, often composed of industrial and found materials alongside manufactured objects. Key elements in Cabrita's work include robust steel bars, salvaged windows, and door frames, with many pieces incorporating fluorescent strip lighting. Light is often employed to partition, delineate, and illuminate space. Additionally, while Cabrita Reis explores the window as a Renaissance structure, opening new perspectives on space, he places particular emphasis on its physical construction.

Centered on inquiries concerning space and memory, the equilibrium between light and matter is articulated through the interplay of architecture and image, generating, as Cabrita stated, "creates a reality in its own right, instead of reproducing it."

Global Recognition and Exhibition Highlights

Pedro Cabrita Reis' work has garnered international recognition, making him a prominent figure in the global art scene. His pieces have been featured in major exhibitions worldwide, including Documenta IX and XIV in Kassel, the São Paulo Biennales, and the Venice Biennale. In 2003, he represented Portugal at the Venice Biennale, and in 2013, he presented "A Remote Whisper" at the 55th Biennale de Venezia. 

His other installations, such as "Les Trois Grâces" commissioned by the Louvre Museum, and "Field" at Chiesa di San Fantin for the 59th Venice Biennale, further solidify his reputation as a groundbreaking artist.