JAF (b. 1993) is a Portuguese visual artist, born in Mangualde, dedicated mainly to street art in formats such as muralism and graffiti.

In general, the interest in street art, graffiti in particular, manifested itself around the age of twelve, when the artist began to spray-paint on the streets and, during his adolescence, he took part in different competitions and events related to this cultural movement. His graffiti could be found in the Mangualde area, but also in other places he was passing through. The passion for urban art was, from an early age, related to the freedom and adrenaline inherent in this form of artistic expression and its public character that makes it potentially accessible to everyone.

In secondary education, after completing the 10th year of the Science and Technology course, he decided to repeat that school year and study Visual Arts. Over these years, he invested in and evolved his drawings and spray-painting technique and began to see his work recognised when he received the first proposals to paint in exchange for remuneration. In 2014, it stood out with a first place in the “5th Mostra de Graffiti de Almada”.

He finished his studies at the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto in 2017, where he graduated in Fine Arts – Multimedia branch. During the years he lived in Porto, he participated in several group exhibitions and collaborated with different artists and music projects, experimenting in areas such as video, design and illustration. It was in this city that, for the first time, he had a studio which he shared with three other artists.

Since 2019 he has dedicated his time entirely to art, always maintaining his focus on spray mural painting. It explores the versatility of this type of painting, whether through the creative process itself – for example, in the making of live portraits – or through the different types of materials that serve as a canvas for his works. Furthermore, it also expresses itself in other formats, such as drawing, engraving, sculpture, video or installation. In his artistic interventions and creations, he is mainly driven by a deep interest in themes related to the human condition and mind, visual perception, the subconscious and the spacetime notion.

“I believe that the meaning of creating is also the discovering, and that is why I am not stuck with a single method of thinking or making art. Each idea requires its own way of being explored.”

JAF currently lives in Mangualde, where his studio is located. In addition to the authorial work he develops, he also makes graffiti for public and private clients, such as companies, schools, municipalities, among others.

It is worth highlighting his participation, in 2020, in the National Plan of the Arts as an “Inside Artist” in the Nelas Schools Group, where he had the opportunity to work directly with students in a relationship of mutual sharing, contributing with his vision of art and the example of his entire career as an artist. Also, in partnership with sculptor Xico Lucena, he participated in the event “Esperança de 2021” in Sernancelhe with an installation that brought together the two arts – spray painting on granite stones – inspired by the worldwide phenomenon that we have been experiencing since the beginning of 2020.

[Text: MF]