João Serém (1952-2010)

João Serém was a Portuguese artist, born in Caparica, Almada, who studied Visual Arts at Ar.Co, in Lisbon. João Serém developed a remarkable work in oil painting – which he called “Raw Expressions” – in drawing, in a vast series of graphic diaries, and in sculpture.

By the artist’s will, his works were never formally shown to the public, and the vast majority are held by the family.

His painting is characterized by a dramatic, violent, striking expressiveness, sometimes almost tormented, associated with a strong chromatic intensity, resulting from his deep and intimate relationship with art.

Figuratively speaking, his “Raw Expressions” are of an utmost avant-garde, produced with successive thin layers, which the artist applied almost obsessively, producing results of extraordinary beauty and irreverence, arousing strong emotions and feelings to those who appreciate them, an  expression transversal to drawing and sculpture.

The artist dedicated the last years of his life to art, having even founded a painting school, called Finearts Portugal, which was in full operation, until the date of his death, in 2010.