Rita Paupério (b. 1981, Espinho, Portugal) is a multidisciplinary artist who lives and works in Espinho.
Her work is developed within the field of abstract painting, with a focus on the fundamental elements of form, colour, and composition. Her practice combines materials such as acrylic, oil stick, charcoal, and wax pastel on raw cotton canvas or paper, exploring the interplay between transparency and opacity. The process plays a central role, balancing technical control with formal and compositional intuition.
At the core of her artistic exploration is the construction of internal landscapes – non-figurative compositions that act as mental and emotional records. Each painting begins with an exploratory base, where the initial layers serve as a ground for later interventions. In this process, the artist identifies coloured forms, traces subtle paths, and outlines maps that reflect states of consciousness and fragments of memory. These landscapes are not descriptive, but are instead structured as open visual systems that seek to translate what is felt but difficult to verbalise. The absence of linear narrative and the attention to formal detail create space for multiple readings.
“In my practice, matter, form and colour become visual metaphors for introspective states. I am particularly interested in the limits of human consciousness and the notion of existential impermanence – themes that shape an ongoing internal dialogue. This dialogue materialises through a balance between process and instinct. The first layers of paint act as a foundation for what follows, where I uncover paths, create maps and build mental landscapes.”
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025, Muted Coastline, Art Spot Gallery, Porto, Portugal
2024, Being brave brings pain and flowers, São Vicente Alfama Hotel, Lisbon, Portugal
2024, Being brave brings pain and flowers, Espinho Parish Council Art Gallery, Espinho, Portugal
COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS
2025, 8th Espinho International Art Biennial, Espinho, Portugal
2025, Espelho meu, espelho meu, DaVinci Gallery, Porto, Portugal
2025, Biale – Alentejo International Biennial, Estremoz, Portugal
2024, Small formats, Monumental Gallery, Lisbon, Portugal
2024, XXXIII Villa de Montellano Painting Competition, Seville, Spain
2024, XLII Painting Contest Castillo de San Fernando, Bolaños de Calatrava, Spain
AWARDS
2011, 100 Best Annual Reports, Graphis International Awards, New York, USA
2008, Best Photography – Arte XXI-9, Espinho, Portugal
2007, Best Illustration – Arte XXI-8, Espinho, Portugal
2005, Best Illustration – Arte XXI-6, Espinho, Portugal
EDUCATION
2004, Degree in Communication Design – Graphic Art, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Porto