BIOGRAPHY:
Mario Henrique is a contemporary painter based in Portugal. After graduating in Design from Lisbon’s University of Fine Arts, he began his career in online marketing and web development agencies as a creative director, where he led teams in Portugal, Spain, and Brazil. A decade later, he shifted his focus to contemporary painting, which had always been a parallel interest.
Mario is a prolific portraitist who is fascinated by the unpredictability of human behaviour, from brief glances to the impermanence of facial expressions. He uses unconventional and rough materials such as cardboard, reversed canvases, and hardware tools, painting abruptly and spontaneously. His approach relies on drippings, splashes, and paint throws, revealing the physicality of the painting process in the final piece.
Listed in various private collections across Europe, America and Asia, Mario has exhibited in galleries both locally and abroad, and was awarded an Honourable Mention for his participation in the Brasilia Biennial of Contemporary Arts 2016.
Mario Henrique's paintings are listed in private collections worldwide and he has exhibited both locally and abroad.
“I try to be fast and spontaneous when I’m painting. And that should be reflected in the final piece. The observer should be able to infer the physicality of the painting process when looking at the paint drippings and brush strokes.
When I throw paint, I can do it with some premeditation, but I cannot predict where the paint will actually land on the canvas. So, my approach to painting is - at least in part - based on chance, on small random accidents. It doesn’t rely exclusively on my persistence or my technique.
That’s why I don’t feel completely responsible for my paintings - in the sense that, although I can answer for my initial intentions, the final result is always something that I could never fully anticipate. Something unique and unrepeatable, out of my absolute control”