Toy (1998) Sculpture by Luís Cruz

Luís Cruz, begins his artistic career, as an engraver, at Gravura - Cooperativa de Gravadores Portugueses. Together with other artists, he founded Atelier.15, AAPACO - Association of Plastic Artists and Craftsmen of Campo de Ourique, and later AGA - Engraving Association of Amadora.

However, it is in sculpture, where he develops his aesthetic language, both in the experimental sense, in the use of materials, and in the development of concepts and the search for new discourses, in this sense the scale, support, material and color are questioned, configuring a certain eclecticism, which comes from the manipulation of scale and space, a journey that would bear fruit through the attribution of the revelation prize, in sculpture at the II Bienal de Arte dos Açores e Atlântico.

If it is true that in the few individual exhibitions of work, the expository discourse is diverse and disconnected from each other, whether due to the innovative proposals or challenges launched, an indelible guiding thread is also visible, perhaps linked to its roots, exalted by a certain singularity, objective simplicity of telling a story. This facet can be seen in his public commissioned work and also figuratively, where a certain challenge between the narrative and the technical difficulty of giving it form, allied to a profound, almost poetic sensitivity, can be seen.

The beauty of creativity, most of the time, consists of starting or taking the first step, or in other words, with Intention. Once this parameter is exceeded, and the language is right, it is enough to follow the logic of the discourse, which is always inevitable and unforeseen. It is this autonomy and ability to constantly invent oneself that determines the aesthetic discourse, gives it form.

It is in this dichotomy, posture and challenging strategy, close to the provocative fragility, of constant questioning, concept, material and form, where the stimulus for the proposals of Luís Cruz's artistic path is based.

Luís Cruz, was born in Ferreira do Zêzere in 1958.

• Nationality: PORTUGAL
• Date of birth : 1958
• Artistic domains:
• Groups: Contemporary Portuguese Artists