MEET
Virgílio Pinheiro
Virgílio João Manuel Pinheiro is an Angolan visual artist born on March 7, 1985, in Luanda. He holds a degree in Visual and Plastic Arts from the Instituto Superior de Artes (ISART) and has specialized technical training in sculpture. With extensive experience in arts education, Virgílio has been teaching Scenic Design at ISART since 2018 and serves as the coordinator of the Visual and Plastic Expression course at CEART, nurturing the next generation of artists.
His artistic practice centers on the theme of aging, capturing the aesthetic and symbolic impact of time's passage. Through his work, Virgílio explores wisdom, resilience, and solitude, offering a profound reflection on maturity and life's experiences.
Pinheiro has participated in numerous group and solo exhibitions, including a showcase at the V Scientific Conference of ISART and his monographic project, The Poetic Foundations of Aging: Identity and Culture. His accolades include the ENSA ARTE Grand Prize in 2019 for his sculpture Sagrada Esperança and the Grand Prize in 2024 for Pietá Angolana.
Currently living and working in Luanda, Virgílio Pinheiro continues to produce thought-provoking pieces that invite viewers to contemplate the beauty and depth of the human journey through time.