The local painter João Sena accepted the challenge of the Municipality of Portimão to give life to the facilities of the former JAPBA – Autonomous Council of the Ports of the Western Algarve, located next to the Gil Eanes Pier, with its art.
In the words of the artist, «the project resulted from the invitation made by the City Council to paint something related to the city, almost like a gateway for the thousands of young people who were among us during the Welcome to Paradise Festival, in preparation for the Youth Day , and in which the letters of the word 'Portimão' predominate, as well as other motifs that mirror the soul of this land».
«For that, I used the paper boat and the seagull, symbols of freedom and transformation, the helm, which represents the choices and actions in each one's journey, and the old man of the sea, living testimony of time and experience, in addition to the sardines, which from my point of view exemplify the diversity and collaboration that define Portimão, where everyone plays an important role in the balance of the city's growth, making it a unique and special place», explains João Sena.
«The most difficult part of the whole process was painting with acrylic paints, facing the very heat that was felt in the weeks when I tried to give new life to the iconic building of the former JAPBA, whose configuration is full of details», he says.
The painter recalls having been “searched by hundreds of tourists of countless nationalities, curious to know what was going on and to whom I explained the symbolism of each figure, and I also had the pleasant satisfaction of taking countless photographs with the young pilgrims who every day passing through the riverside area and who insisted on including the flags of their countries in the frames».
The grandson of a fisherman, João Sena was born in the city of Portimão in 1972 and is marking 25 years of career, currently exhibiting at the facilities of EMARP – Empresa Municipal de Águas e Residuos de Portimão the retrospective exhibition “XXV”, open until 8 September.
From a very early age, he felt a great interest in various artistic manifestations, especially painting, having studied and investigated various techniques and styles, using materials such as oil, acrylic, pastel and charcoal, among others.
In 1997, through the exhibition “Conclusion…none” at the Parish Council of Portimão, he revealed his works to the public for the first time, in which he assumes «a great fascination with the surrealism of Salvador Dalí and an obsession with perfecting a style of techniques of own paintings, eventually discovering the vast fantasy intensity present in art».
According to the artist, «in my works I try to make a self-observation of life and everything that it involves, painting dreams, mysteries and stories», which are part of several private collections, spread across the country and abroad.
According to João Sena, his artistic creations “give those who observe them the possibility of entering another world, and of becoming part of the scenarios of a story… Perhaps a new way of seeing a different world, turning dreams into reality”.
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