Luis Levy Lima

Luis Levy Lima was born in Lisbon, Portugal, in 1986 and he grew up in a family of cape verdean artists (father, Miguel, and uncles David and Abraham).I Interestingly enough, he didn't want to be a painter and graduated in graphic design at Lisbon’s Faculty of Fine Arts (like his mother). Yes, he loved to draw and paint since he can remember, nevertheless he knew far too well what it meant to make a living as an artist. Also he wasn’t comfortable with the pressure of having to be a “Levy Lima” lineage artist and he avoided that idea for a long time. His painting activities were a “well kept secret” that only his friends and relatives knew about until one day the urge to paint became stronger than anything else.

Since then Luis Levy Lima has also debuted several exhibitions at Hilton Hotel, the National Assembly of Cape Verde, Bienal de Cerveira, Palácio da Cultura Ildo Lobo, Fábrica Braço de Prata and various other galleries and institutions in Portugal and abroad. He is featured in renown museums, institutions and hotels, e.g., Museu do Oriente (Lisbon), the Embassy of Cape Verde in Portugal (Lisbon), Robinson Club Cabo Verde (Sal Island) and Pestana Tropico Hotel (Praia, Cape Verde). He also portrayed several famous figures and his works are part of the private collection of personalities such as Madonna, Dino d'Santiago, Cesária Évora and Luís Represas.

Despite being known as a figurative artist, Luis values the emotions and stories behind each and every canvas. His subjects vary from childhood memories, to emotion-full animal realm paintings; from music and rhythm to oral tradition; from secular culture to comic book enthusiasm. All depicted into a multitude of layers with bold and vibrant colours, strong brush strokes and unique transparencies. His ultimate purpose is to be true to himself, to make people feel and get connected with their emotions. He can focus on the hope laying on a child’s eyes, the passion of a musician whilst playing or the love of an animal protecting its kin. There is always an element, an idea or a detail that Luis highlights and where that feeling or emotion is present. Feeling is everything!

Luis lives in Lisbon and works worldwide.