Trees and Flowers by Fátima Carvalho
For the first time, two photographic series by Portuguese artist Fátima Carvalho are shown side by side: “Árvores Vigilantes do Tempo” (Trees, Watchers of Time) and “Flores e Frutos” (Flowers and Fruits). In both, her lens lingers on things that live and change – ancient trees, flowers and fruit – and invites us to sense the particular pace at which each of them moves through time.
The first series began with an oak tree in Salto, the artist’s home village in Montalegre, in the mountains of northern Portugal. From there it grew to include olive, holm oak and carob trees, some hundreds and others thousands of years old, photographed across the country like living monuments. Among them is the Oliveira do Mouchão, an olive tree more than 3,000 years old and one of the oldest in Portugal.
The black-and-white photographs are printed on handmade paper or linen, which gives the images texture and deepens their outlines and shadows. Some have been reworked by the painter Fernando Marques de Oliveira, who adds layers of colour, creating four-handed pieces that bring together the vision of two artists and friends. The series is accompanied by texts from the writers Rosa Alice Branco, Maria do Carmo Serén and José Manuel Mendes.
In “Flores e Frutos”, Fátima Carvalho continues to explore the passing of time, photographing flowers and fruit at different stages, from first bloom to full ripeness, as air, light and humidity transform them in front of the camera. Freshness and decay sit side by side, as the artist returns to the same subjects in different states and conditions. Some prints have been embroidered by hand, a nod to the traditional crafts she holds dear.
The exhibition is organised by the Fundação D. Luís I with the support of Cascais City Council and is on show on the ground floor of the Centro Cultural de Cascais.
Born in Salto, Montalegre, in northern Portugal, and closely tied to the art scene in Porto, Fátima Carvalho took up photography in the 1990s.
Her work focuses on things that live and change, always with a strong poetic sense. This is also clear in Manhã Total, her book paying tribute to her friend Eugénio de Andrade, one of Portugal’s best-loved poets.
de Andrade, one of Portugal’s best-loved poets.
Venue: Centro Cultural de Cascais, ground floor
Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10h00 - 18h00 (last admission at 17h40)
Organised by: Fundação D. Luís I, with the support of Cascais City Council
Contact: +351 214 815 660 | geral@fdl.pt
