
Art & Design
Art & Design
All problems arise from this complex constantly expanding being, the "I".
Acácio Viegas
(b. 1976, Viana do Castelo, Portugal)
EDUCATION AND ACADEMIC BACKGROUND
From an early age, he showed interest in drawing and developed a passion for art during secondary school. He began his professional activity at the age of 17 as a draftsman and model maker in an architecture studio in Viana do Castelo. In 2000, he completed a Bachelor's degree in Engineering and Product Design, and in 2002, a Degree in Product Design, both at the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo. He holds a Master’s degree in Industrial Design from the University of Porto (completed in 2006) and a Postgraduate Diploma in Visual Merchandising and Store Design.
DESIGN CAREER
He began his professional career as a designer in 1999, and that same year he exhibited at ExperimentaDesign, Meeting Point, in Lisbon, with the object “Quatro L”. He has worked in various areas of design, including product design, graphic design, web design, and retail design. He gained experience in the application of advanced technologies at INEGI (Institute of Mechanical Engineering and Industrial Management), where he worked with plastic forming, casting, rapid prototyping, and 3D printing technologies applied to industrial production and design. This journey culminated in his master’s dissertation, focused on developing products using rapid prototyping technologies, while also exploring their potential in the field of art.
He is currently a guest assistant professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Viana do Castelo, where he has taught subjects such as Computer-Aided Technical Drawing, Drawing, Project and Workshop, and Artistic Ceramics Studio. He has also taught at the Polytechnic Institute of Cávado and Ave, in areas such as Technical Drawing, Model Making and 3D Modelling, and Geometry and Projection, and has co-supervised internships and master's theses.
ARTISTIC CAREER
In 2014, he underwent a turning point in his professional practice, seeking new forms of expression that transcend the rational language of design. His artistic production emerged as a response to a need for spiritual expression and expanded consciousness, through visual exploration — a gesture of surrender to mystical experience and intuition.
In 2015, he publicly presented his first artistic experiments in the exhibition “Consciência”, as part of the Guimarães noc noc event. Since then, he has established himself as a visual artist with several solo and group exhibitions, encompassing painting, sculpture, installation, and public art.
In 2024, he was awarded the Henrique Silva Visual Arts Prize, promoted by the Municipality of Paredes.
Among his most relevant exhibitions are:
Between 2020 and 2025: Surrender at Galeria Cine-Teatro João Verde; participation in the XXI Cerveira International Art Biennial, the XI and XII Espinho International Art Biennials; Tudo o Que Banha a Luz é Meu at Galeria d’Arte Ortopóvoa; Peregrinantes in Spem at Grijó Monastery; the 25th edition of Arte na Leira; Insert’arte at the Museum of Decorative Arts in Viana do Castelo; D’Arte Vez at Casa das Artes – Arcos de Valdevez; CB Art Space in Porto; Cumplicidades at Galeria Geraldes da Silva; Synodose Amoris Laetitia at Grijó Monastery; Artistas com Abril at Galeria Barca D’Artes; A Couple of Structuring and Liquid Things at ZetGallery; Da Leira para a Bouça in Amares; Tribunal da Relação do Porto; 45 Anos, 45 Artistas com Abril at the Alto Minho Cultural Centre; and Not in the Same Way, solo exhibition at Centro de Memória de Vila do Conde in 2025.
Between 2015 and 2019: solo exhibitions Deslize at Galeria D’Arte Ortopóvoa; Consciência para que te quero at Arte na Leira; Insight and Agora! A Real Experiência de Olhar at Galeria SCMVC; Evolutionary at the Ordem dos Médicos in Viana do Castelo; A Real Experiência de Olhar at Associação Artística Vimaranense; Ser Consciente at the Absoluto Design Hotel gallery; Ser at the Macrobiotic Institute of Portugal; and participation in Guimarães Noc Noc. He also took part in group exhibitions such as 100 Years of Bauhaus at Casa da Arquitectura, the International Biennial of Contemporary Sacred Art in Braga, LethesArt in Ponte de Lima, and D’Arte Vez.
Artist Statement
I use art as a form of expression, communication, and reflection with the world around me. I seek to crystallize complex realities and experiences through a universal and synthetic language, grounded in a vision or idea. This often takes shape through symbols and simplified geometric forms — much like the entire structure of nature itself.
I believe that when we contemplate composition, form, and color, a shift in perception can occur within us — a thought, a resonance, or a change in meaning — moving us into a new state of consciousness, whether conscious or unconscious.
In this sense, my work emerges from an inner need for spiritual expression and the expansion of consciousness. It opens new paths of semantic exploration, using form as a way to speak directly to the soul.
The fusion of disciplines and knowledge clearly influences my choice of techniques and materials. The integration of contemporary digital and industrial processes reflects not only aesthetic intent but also the socio-economic and technological landscape of modern society.
I propose art as an invitation — to contemplate, to feel, and to meditate.