Since December 14, 2021, the Azulejo National Museum has been hosting an exhibition highlighting female creativity in Portuguese porcelain. On this International Women’s Rights Day, Lepetitjournal returns to this exhibition.
Defending women’s rights
March 8 is International Women’s Day. It is one of the 87 international days recognized by the United Nations. In 1977 it took on an official dimension, but historically it has been celebrated in different regions of the world since the beginning of the 20th century.
This day exists to remind us that the issues of equality and gender between men and women are essential in our society. It is an opportunity for feminists to defend women’s rights, and thus to continue this struggle for equality.
Therefore, March 8 is the motto of the struggle against gender inequality, and in this context Lepetitjournal decided to present an original exhibition highlighting only female artists.
Simple and effective gallery
The Azulejo National Museum (MNAz) is dedicated to Portuguese porcelain art. Since December 14, 2021, the temporary exhibition has focused on “Women’s Creativity in Modern and Contemporary Azulejo, 1950 to 2020”.
Impressive and gigantic, the MNAz is a separate place to discover, which offers a two-room gallery, showcasing ceramic work from the mid-20th century to the present day. Here is a small picture summary.
Nossa Senhora da Luz, 1950-1960
Maria Kiel and Maria Helena Vieira da Silva: Consecration of Portuguese Porcelain
In this exhibition, two famous Portuguese ceramic artists are present. The first, Maria Kiel, is especially famous for decorating the walls of the Lisbon metro. It was she who came up with the idea to use azulejos to cover faded walls. This company started in the fifties of the last century, hence it gave a colorful, modern and original atmosphere to the Seven Hills City metro. In particular, the stations of Anjos and Intendente which represent the idea and work of Maria Keil so well.
The second, Maria Helena Vieira da Silva, is the symbol of the association between Portuguese art and French art. Portuguese by birth, she was naturalized in French at the age of 48. This painter is considered the leader of the abstract landscape movement, thanks to her mastery of painting as well as mosaics and her use of regressive perspective. Mocho originally worked as a skin for the Cidade Universitaria station on the Lisbon metro. The tiles were loaned to the museum for the exhibition. So go to the metro for those who don’t have time to go to MNAz, or want to discover other works of azulejos, its stations and lanes full of it!
These two artists perfectly exemplify the homage to Portuguese porcelain from the second half of the twentieth century, a period that retains a trace of their art.
La Nouvelle Féminité #4, another exhibition that defies taboo
On March 8, International Women’s Rights Day, an exhibition opens today at Studio Thirdbase, next to the Marques de Pombal. It is part of the feminist theme. This is the fourth edition of this exhibition series. La Nouvelle Féminité #4 places the woman at the center of her mission, a woman without knots, without judgment, codifying her freedom at the heart of society. This exhibition is also part of the 2022 France Portugal season. French and Portuguese artists will be figureheads for the twenty artists on display. It is possible to watch this exhibition until March 29th, don’t be late!
