The visual artist Francisco Simões has passed away, a leading figure in Portuguese visual arts and one of the most relevant names in contemporary sculpture.

He was the author of significant public art works, such as “As Mulheres de Lisboa” at the Campo Pequeno metro station (Lisbon), or the sculptures of the greatest figures of Portuguese poetry installed in Parque dos Poetas (Oeiras).

Born in Almada in 1946, he completed his studies at the António Arroio School of Decorative Arts in 1965, and later graduated in Sculpture from the Academy of Music and Fine Arts of Madeira in 1974. In 1967, he received an OECD scholarship and studied in Rome, Turin, Novara, Verona and Milan. The following year, he worked at the Louvre Museum at the invitation of Germain Bazin, a leading figure in Art History.

Francisco Simões, Untitled, Screenprint on canvas, 82.5 x 65.5 cm, 120 copies

A staunch defender of freedom and democratic access to culture, in 1975 he began working with the Ministry of Education as pedagogical coordinator of the Student Civic Service, and became involved in local government, having been elected city councillor for the Municipality of Almada (1976–1980). In 1989, he was appointed Consultant for Visual Arts for the project “Culture Begins at School”.

His professional path also included collaboration with the Jornal de Letras, Artes e Ideias (1992), as well as continued roles within the Ministry of Education as a member of the working group Humanization and Aesthetic Enhancement of Educational Spaces (1992).

Francisco Simões, Art Album “Fado”, Screenprint on handmade paper, 34 x 47 x 7 cm,

200 copies

From 1981 onwards, his artistic career gained renewed momentum, with solo exhibitions held at galleries such as Altamira (Lisbon), Quetzal (Funchal), S. Mamede (Lisbon) and Magellan (Paris).

The partnership with CPS began in 1988 with the work Nu, marking the start of a bond based on friendship and shared values. His work is represented in private collections in Portugal and abroad, as well as in public collections such as Caixa Geral de Depósitos and institutional collections including the University of Beira Interior.

Francisco Simões, “Nu”, Screenprint, 71 x 51 cm, 200 copies

In 1991, he chose Sintra as the place to live and work, a city that welcomed him for over 20 years. He later moved to the island of Madeira, where he settled permanently and founded the “Francisco Simões Arts Centre”.

Francisco Simões leaves behind an exceptional cultural, pedagogical and civic legacy. In recognition of the importance of his career, the Municipality of Almada named a secondary school in Laranjeiro after him, and the Municipality of Oeiras intends to do the same by naming one of the city’s avenues in his honour.