The Arrival of Gesture

Lisbon, 1926. A child begins to paint at fourteen. By 1947, the career of Artur Bual De Almeida is officially underway. He moves through the halls of the António Arroio School of Art, absorbing the foundations of a craft that would soon fracture into something much more kinetic. The early 1950s bring his first individual exhibitions, but the real shift occurs when the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation sends him to Paris between 1959 and 1960.

In the streets of Paris, the heavy influence of German expressionism meets his developing hand. He encounters the works of Hartung, Wols, and Soulages. This is the moment where the static becomes fluid. While Portugal remains under a dictatorial regime, clinging to the established poles of neo-realism and surrealism, Bual brings back a different energy. In 1958, he reaches a peak of expression, introducing the first true steps toward abstract painting in his home country.

The Language of Motion

His brushstrokes are not delicate; they are fast, wide, and dense. This is gestural painting in its most raw form. He works across canvas, wood, and mixed materials, using oil and acrylic to create a sense of chromatic weight. The movement is often biomorphic or anthropomorphic, where the human or animal form begins to dissolve into organic, abstract signs. A horse in motion might be reduced to nothing more than agile handwriting on a surface.

The artist does not limit himself to the flat plane. His creative reach extends into:

• Sculpture: Creating balanced, harmonious compositions like Homenagem à Agricultura.
• Ceramics and Frescoes: Executing large-scale works in twelve different chapels across Alentejo and Ribatejo.
• Mosaic Panels: Leaving permanent marks on the Lisbon Metro and CP station Amadora.

Even within religious themes, the gesture remains dominant. His portraits of Jesus Christ, including depictions of the crucifixion and the Last Supper, are invaded by spontaneous abstraction. The figure is present, but it is filtered through a lens of intense, physical movement.

A Legacy in Stone and Ink

Beyond the studio, Bual occupies the roles of plastic director for the Teatro Experimental de Cascais and Porto, and graphic director for the magazine Contravento. He illustrates books, lending his visual sense to the prose of Ferreira de Castro and Miguel Barbosa. His life is a constant movement between different media and disciplines.

His recognition is anchored in numerous awards, including the Prémio Nacional Amadeo de Sa Souza Cardoso and the MAC Career Prize in 1997. His works reside in the permanent collections of the Palácio da Justiça de Lisboa, the Centro de Arte Moderna da Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, and various national museums. When he passes away in Amadora in 1999, he leaves behind a transformed Portuguese art scene, one where the freedom of the gesture had finally broken through.