Mário Belém
b. 1977, Lisbon, Portugal
Portuguese artist Mário Belém initially established his career as a digital illustrator and graphic designer before the tactile pull of physical mediumship—the urge to “get his hands dirty”—steered him entirely toward fine art.
Today, Belém navigates both ends of the spatial scale with exceptional fluency. His practice bridges highly intricate studio works and monumental, site-specific murals that have established him as a defining figure in Portugal’s contemporary urban art movement.
Over the past decade, Belém has refined a highly distinct visual language. Characterized by a vibrant, playful palette, his work frequently juxtaposes image and text to construct magically charged narrative environments. These compositions strike a delicate balance between the deeply familiar and the surreal, raising poignant questions about modern communication, popular folklore, and the nuances of the human condition.
Working primarily in painting on multi-layered wood to construct dimensional, sculptural compositions, Belém’s work has been exhibited widely in solo and group gallery presentations, as well as in public interventions in countless locations.
Mário Belém
Lives between Carcavelos, near Lisbon in Portugal and Jesus, in Ibiza. Studied graphic design at Ar.Co in Lisbon. Worked as an illustrator from 2002 until 2015, currently working as a painter and muralist.
Solo shows
“Te Voy A Lavar La Boca Con Jabón” Obra23 Gallery, Ibiza 2026
“Flirting with the Great Perhaps” , Because Art Matters Gallery, Lisbon 2025
“Capa Dura, Coração Mole” Online Exhibition, 2022
“That awkward moment between birth and death” , Underdogs Gallery 2020
“Conto Interrompido” , Underdogs Gallery, Lisboa 2017
“You should pass by I have so much to say to you” ” Art Room, Lisboa 2016
“There is only one truth: the way out is through the mirror” Rua do Teixeira 39, Lisboa 2015
“Mário Who?” Montana Gallery, Lisboa 2013
Selected Collective Shows
“KNOTENPUNKT” AFFENFAUST Galerie, Hamburg 2026
“Prisma” BAM Gallery Lisbon 2025
“Caprichos” EstArt, Madrid 2024
“Surf Vibes” Adda Gallery, Ibiza 2022
“Lucha de Gigantes” Only You Hotel, Madrid 2021 / Sala Pignatelli, Zaragoza 2022
“Love and Colours” OD Gallery, Amsterdam 2019
“Made in Portugal” GCA Gallery, Paris 2018
“Oitavo” Galeria Oitavo, Porto 2018
“Nexus”, Thinkspace ,Glendale 2016
“Scope”, Thinkspace New York 2016
“Pow! Wow!”, Thinkspace Honolulu 2016
“LA Art Show”, Los Angeles 2016
“Soma”, Underdogs Gallery, Lisboa 2014
“ARTURb”, LAC, Lagos 2014
“Lendo as Estrelas”, Palácio do Egipto, Oeiras 2014
“Urban Now”, Galeria Metamorfose, Porto 2014
Bistro 100 Maneiras, Lisboa 2014
CCP, 2013
Galeria em Projecto, Sesimbra 2013