Biography | Artwork

Cristina Troufa is a Portugal-based artist, working predominately in figurative painting. In recent works, she uses her own image in autobiographical paintings that explore her life and spiritual beliefs. As a form of self-knowledge and self-questioning, her work explores an inner world in a symbolic way, which remains inaccessible to the voyeur, who can only guess what each painting represents.
Cristina holds a degree in Painting since 1998 and is attending a Masters degree in FBAUP (University of Fine Arts of Porto). She has exhibited throughout Portugal, in solo and group shows since 1995 and international exhibitions in Italy and Spain, including the beautiful House Batlló “Barcelona Showcase” International Exhibition of Contemporary Art, Spain.

Writer, Richard Zimler, best summarised Cristina’s works by saying:

“On viewing Cristina’s paintings, it became clear to me that she was highly skilled at depicting the complex emotions and feelings that human beings exhibit and which Darwin wished to explore. This is a very difficult thing to do – indeed, painting the human face accurately and insightfully has confounded otherwise excellent artists for centuries. In a sense, we shouldn’t be surprised; it requires great technical skill and observational powers to depict a mixed emotion such as fearful doubt, for example. Or controlled panic. Or to paint an emotion as subtle as reticence” (20 October 2011 via Cristina Troufa’s blog).

EDUCATION
Current - Masters in Painting at FBAUP (University of Fine Arts of Porto)
1998 Degree in Fine Arts - Painting, FBAUP (University of Fine Arts of Porto)

EXHIBITIONS
Solo exhibitions
2012 "Subjective Freedom", 19 KAREN Contemporary Artspace, Gold Coast
2012 "Emotions", Museum of Decorative Arts, Viana do Castelo, Portugal
2011 "The Self Narcissistic" Palpura Gallery, Lisbon
2011 "The mask reflected in the mirror," ASVs Gallery, Porto
2011 “Cristina Troufa” Metamorfose Gallery, Port
2011 "Wearing Skin", Library of Penafiel
2008 Convent of Desagravo, Vila Pouca da Beira, Portugal
2006 "Traces of Portugal," Casa Museu Soledade Malvar, Famalicão.
2005 "We the Animals," Abraço Gallery, Lisbon.
2004 "Essential Painting", Artela Gallery, Lisbon.
2004 "Artistic Presentations", Exhibition Hall, Penafiel.
2003 "V4," House of Arts, Porto.
2003 "Traces of Life", Gallery OM, Penafiel.
2002 "Figurations," Artela Gallery, Lisbon.
2001 "Sin 7 times," Space Arts, Lousada.

Group exhibitions
2012 "Barcelona Showcase" House Batlló, Barcelona, Spain
2012 "Art in Morrazo 2012, Cangas, Spain;
2012 "The Other", Gallery 604, Porto
2012 "Collective Refresh" Henry Dunant Gallery, Porto
2012 "Fado on the North", Csa da Galeria Art space, Santo Tirso, Portugal
2012 "1st Exhibition of Antiquities and Works of Art", CCB, Lisbon
2012 "Emerging and consecrated," Zeller Gallery, Espinho, Portugal
2012 Group exhibition, CB Concept Art Gallery, Carcavelos, Portugal
2012 "Collection", Art Gallery Solar Santo António, Porto
2012 "Collective Collection," Metamorfose Gallery, Porto
2012 "Collective 2000 ... and 12," Zeller Gallery, Espinho
2011 "FastArt Follia and Societa 'Ex Chiesa del' Angelo, Lodi, Italy
2011 "The Last Supper", Art Gallery Solar Santo António, Porto
2011 "X-Chromosome Palettes of a Master" Cultural Forum of Ermesinde, Portugal
2011 "Against the Mirror", Art Gallery Solar Santo António, Porto
2011 Collective exhibition of "Collection," Gallery Zeller, Espinho
2011 "Paths of Coruche Biennial," old school EB1, paragraph 1 of Coruche, Portugal
2011 19 Karen Gallery, Australia
2011 "Seen From Outside." Body Mechanics and Sport, FADEUP, Porto
2011 Spring-XXIV Hall Art Gallery of Estoril Casino, Estoril, Portugal
2011 Art Gallery Solar Sto-Arts. António, Porto
2011 "She for Then" Metamorfose Gallery, Porto
2011 "Recollection - Dialogues of Painting," Gallery of the Lions, Porto
2011 "Energy Parallel," Leal's Gallery, Cascais, Portugal
2010 "Lisbo-a-njos" Gallery Paula Cabral, Lisbon
2010 Group exhibition, Gallery Zeller, Espinho
2010 "Collective Christmas," Gallery João Pedro Rodrigues, Porto
2010 "AMIarte: Together in solidarity," Forum Ermesinde
2010 VIII International Contest of Plastic Arts "Aires de Cordoba", Spain
2010 "MertolArte 2010," Mértola, Portugal
2010 "AMI-Together in solidarity," Amiarte, Porto
2009 6 Biennial International Young Art of Vila Verde, Portugal
2009 Award 2009 Carmen Miranda, Marco de Canaveses, Portugal
2009 "Ten Perspectives," Valbom Gallery, Lisbon.
2009 "Art is not measured at Feet Under" Gallery Nuno Sacramento, Aveiro, Portugal
2009 UNESCO Centre of Porto
2009 "Imagens que as palavras ditam," MAEDS - Museum of Archaeology and
2009 Ethnography of Setúbal, Portugal
2008 'Art House' Contemporary Art Fair, FIL, Lisbon.
2008 "On Europe" 1st Biennial International Prize Vespeira Montijo IX, Portugal
2008 Group Exhibition, Gallery Arthobler.com, Porto.
2008 Exhibition, House of Culture, Vimioso, Portugal
2008 "Art on Route Camilo", Centre for Studies Camilianos, Famalicão, Portugal
2008 Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture, Hibiscus Gallery, Lisbon.
2008 "Traditions (re) invented" Municipal Gallery Fitares, Sintra, Portugal
2008 "To you, Father" VIII Auction of Art Works, Dr. António Cupertino de Miranda Fundation, Porto
2008 "X Edition Prize for Painting and Sculpture D. Fernando II ", Sintra, Portugal

Honorable Mentions
2010 VIII International Contest of Plastic Arts "Aires de Cordoba", Spain
2009 "6th International Biennial of Young Art at Vila Verde.",Portugal
2007 "Biennial Coruche, 3rd Salon of Plastic Arts.",Portugal
2004 "Artistic Presentations", Exhibition Hall, Penafiel, Portugal

ACHIEVEMENTS
Co-founder of the Association of Contemporary Art and Sculpture - EACA

PUBLICATIONS
2011 Illustration for the book 'Strawberry Fields Forever', by Richard Zimler
2009 Magazine Tabu, journal “O SOL”- interview of Liliana Garcia
2008 Illustrations for the book “Palavras de Fernando Pessoa” Centro Atlântico
2007 Catalogue “Arte Lisboa, Feira de Arte Contemporânea”
2006 Book “Livro de Ouro da Arte Contemporânea em Portugal”, Fernando
2004 Book “A Arte no Desporto” editado pela Galeria Linhares, Lisboa
2004 Revista – “Eles e Elas” nº 226, artigo de Rodrigues Vaz