Opening of the exhibition by sculptor Manuel Pereira da Silva

Opening of the exhibition by sculptor Manuel Pereira da Silva

Sculptor Manuel Pereira da Silva

Born in Portelas, Avintes, in 1920. He did primary education at the Cabanões School, secondary education at the Faria de Guimarães School (Soares dos Reis) and entered the Oporto School of Fine Arts, University of Oporto, where finished the course brilliantly, with the final classification of 18 values. The final thesis of the course was about "Nuno Alvares Pereira", one of the best-known Portuguese knights. During the course he was distinguished with the "Teixeira Lopes" and "Soares dos Reis" awards. Then he went to Paris in the company of his colleague, the famous painter Júlio Resende. There he attended several sculpture courses and learned the “fresco” technique.

He participated in several group exhibitions, at Ateneu Comercial of Oporto, with Independentes, three years in a row, in Caladas da Rainha, in Viana do Castelo, at S.N.B.A (National Society of Fine Arts) and in the exhibition of the Portuguese World in Mozambique.

Manuel Pereira da Silva started his activity as a sculptor in the atelier of sculptor Henrique Moreira, while a recent trainee at the Oporto School of Fine Arts. Henrique Moreira was at that time, in the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s the only artist, in the city of Porto, who lived exclusively from his artistic activity, all the other artists were mostly secondary school teachers, Manuel Pereira da Silva was secondary school teacher between 1949 and 1991. During the period he worked at Henrique Moreira's atelier he collaborated with him in the realization of the Low-reliefs of the Rivoli Theatre and the Oporto Coliseum, and also in the “Monument to the Heroes of the Peninsular Wars” in Rotunda da Boavista, in Oporto, where he worked with Sousa Caldas, Lagoa Henriques and Mário Truta.

He set up a studio on Rua Afonso de Albuquerque, in Gaia, and later transferred it to Avintes. He had a creative proximity with some colleagues and artist friends, such as Aureliano Lima, Reis Teixeira, Fernando Fernandes and Arlindo Rocha, with whom he shared his studio, a relationship marked by passion in relation to the work of art, are what you could call some very private route companions. It reflected the taste of working together, sharing, exchanging ideas and socializing outside the studio space in the Oporto cafés.

Manuel Pereira da Silva developed his art in a time of great artistic renewal. Pontifical painting in Pablo Picasso's aesthetics and sculpture was influenced by the works of Auguste Rodin and Constantin Brancusi. In this boiling broth of innovation, Manuel Pereira da Silva, like any other artist, dared and dreamed of creating an original style.

He is the author, among others, of the following artworks:

- Sculpture by General Ulisses Grant, 18th President of the United States of America between 1868 and 1872, in Bolama, Guinea-Bissau (commissioned by the Portuguese Government).

- Low-relief in Polychrome Ceramics in Luanda, Angola (commissioned by the Portuguese Government).

- Evocative frescoes of the “Passion of Christ” in the Main Chapel of the Church of Santa Luzia in Viana do Castelo;

- Sculpture of the image of Nossa Senhora da Areosa, in Areosa Church, in Oporto;

- Low-relief in Pedra Ança by “D. Pedro Pitões exhorting the crusaders” at the Palace of Justice, in Oporto (commissioned by the Portuguese Government);

- Bronze sculpture “A Maternidade” at Praça Marquês de Pombal, in Oporto.

- Fresh mural of “White Snow” on Rua Santa Catarina, in Porto.

- Sculpture for the Fuel Station (Shell, now Repsol) on the A1, in Gaia,

- Monument of Homage to the Furniture Manufacturers, made by the City Council of Paredes;

- Monument to Fernando Couto in Sandim;

- Monument to the farmer in Gulpilhares;

- Monument to Father Araújo in Avintes;

- Monument to the Athlete in Avintes;

- Monument to Firefighters in Avintes, Gondomar and Freamunde;

- Bust of Homage to the Journalist Fernando Pessa;

- Bust of Homage to Prof. José Hermano Saraiva;

- Bust of Tribute to Major Valentim Loureiro, made by the Municipality of Gondomar;

- Bust of Homage to Joaquim José de Carvalho, President of the Administrative Commission of the Municipality of Palmela, in Palmela;

- Bust of Homage to Francisco Viana;

- Bust of Homage to the Sculptor Henrique Moreira;

- Bust of Homage to Dr. Adriano Sá Figueiredo;

- Bust of Homage to the painter Luís Reis Teixeira;

- Bust of Homage to Dr. Adelino Gomes, Clube Recreativo Avintense;

- Bust of Homage to Dr. Francisco Fernandes, Clube Recreativo Avintense;

- Bust of Homage to the Sculptor Alves de Sousa in front of the Town Council and the Church of Vilar de Andorinho;

- Bust of Homage to the Writer Fernando Araújo Lima;

- Bust of Homage to the Sculptor Fernando Fernandes;

- Bust of Homage to Father Luís Gonçalves de Pinho Rocha, in Largo da Lavandeira, Oliveira do Douro;

- Commemorative medal of the foundation of Vila de Avintes;

- Commemorative medal for the centenary of the Almeida e Sousa Theatre, Avintes;

- Commemorative medal of the 70th anniversary of Grupo Dramático Musical Recreativo e Desportivo Restauradores Avintenses;

- Commemorative medal of the 100 years of the Association of Mutual Aid Restauradora Avintense;

- Commemorative medal 100th anniversary of Clube Recreativo Avintense;

- Commemorative medal of the 75 years of the Grupo Mérito Dramático Avintense;

- Commemorative medal of the diamond wedding of Futebol Clube de Avintes;

- Commemorative medal of the 60th Anniversary of the Volunteer Firefighters of Avintes;

- Broa de Avintes Brotherhood Medal;

- António Sérgio High School Medal;

- Medal in honor of Fernando da Conceição Couto;

- Commemorative medal for the centenary of Journalist Fernando Pessa;

- Medal commemorating the centenary of Father Artur Assunção Saúde.

The work Manuel Pereira da Silva has abstract aesthetic tendencies, whose main theme is the human figure and as subthemes: man, woman, couple, family, motherhood. In general, the creative process begins with one or more drawings on paper, A4 sheet that can then be changed to a larger format of cardboard, then can be moved to the canvas, first drawing in pencil on the canvas and then painting, using various materials: gouache, watercolour, Indian ink, or oil. Finally, in a sculpture, first made in clay and then in plaster in an aluminium structure, only turning it to bronze if he has an order. The purpose of all these studies made in drawings, mostly the ballpoint pen (Bic), which can be in pencil or crayon, is to transform them into sculptures.

Manuel Pereira da Silva's first modernist sculptures emerged in the pioneering years of sculptural abstractionism in Portugal. Portuguese abstract art is historically linked to “independent” exhibitions, whose main organizer and animator, Fernando Lanhas, is coincidentally the central figure of this abstractionism. After an I Exhibition, in April 1943, at the premises of the Oporto School of Fine Arts, where the presence of the future “hard core” of the “independents”, such as Júlio Resende, Fernando Fernandes, Nadir Afonso, Arlindo Rocha, Altino Maia, Mário Truta, Serafim Teixeira, Augusto Tavares and Manuel Pereira da Silva. The “independent” exhibitions start to take place outside the School and, several times, outside Oporto. This movement would only make sense because of the situation formed by the Directors of the Oporto School of Fine Arts in the 1940s, where Dordio Gomes, in Painting, Barata Feyo, in Sculpture, and Carlos Ramos, in Architecture, allowed a new breath, breathing the vanguards that continued to assert themselves in Europe.

In Oporto, students from all courses, Architecture, Painting and Sculpture, lived closely together, not only because they had common preparatory studies, but also because the three Arts were considered inseparable. There were discussions about Modernism in Art, and a latent disagreement with classical teaching. There are countless examples of close collaboration between visual artists in architectural works. In collaboration with Architect Carlos Neves, Manuel Pereira da Silva creates a fresh mural decoration of the shoe store “White Snow” on Rua Santa Catarina, in Oporto and two decorative figures in buildings in the Jardim do Marquês de Pombal, in Oporto.

In the African territory under portuguese colonial rule, less subject to pressure from the cultural canons of the Estado Novo and at the same time with more needs for urban construction, there was space for portuguese artists to freely explore the Modern Movement. Several Portuguese architects, especially those from Oporto School, tried to make the buildings complete works, integrating architecture and art - tile panels, glazed tile murals, ceramic panels, engraved marble murals, inlaid pebble murals, figurative drawings and abstract, geometric shapes, colours. Manuel Pereira da Silva was also part of this modern movement, in sculpture, with works carried out in Mozambique, Guinea-Bissau and Angola. Participates in the Portuguese Life and Art Exhibition in Lourenço Marques, Mozambique (1946). In 1955, Manuel Pereira da Silva designed the statue to Ulysses Grant, 18th President of the United States, winner of the public tender launched for this purpose, by the Ministry of Overseas, erected in front of the building of the Paços do Concelho de Bolama, in Guinea-Bissau. In 1960, Manuel Pereira da Silva made, "Africa", this low-relief, in polychrome faience, intended for the decoration of the facade of a building located on the marginal of the Bay of Luanda, Angola.

A sculptor with a high sensitivity to social issues, Manuel Pereira da Silva put his talent at the service of various associations or civic movements and was an example of generosity, description in gestures and commitment to building citizenship and democracy.

On April 13, 1987, it was assigned to him, by the Town Assembly of Avintes, the Medal of Honor and in 2000 the Gold Medal of Cultural Merit by the Municipality of Vila Nova de Gaia.