The SELO // ARTE (Stamp/Art) project was born out of the desire to map Portuguese contemporary art, a gesture that is paralleled by CTT Correios de Portugal's mission to connect and give cohesion to the national territory.
A small object with legal value and deep symbolism, the stamp celebrates the act of writing and communication, whether national or international. The letter, a traditional symbol of union and friendship, takes on a new meaning here, becoming the connecting thread between people, times and places, with the stamp constituting a tangible sign of that connection.
In this second edition of SELO // ARTE, the concept is deepened and affirmed as a public tribute to Portuguese artists. More than a historical review, this issue proposes a gesture of gratitude and admiration for the work that went into building each artist's career. In 2025, Pedro Cabrita Reis, Pedro Calapez, Rui Chafes, Ângela Ferreira, Fernanda Fragateiro and Joana Vasconcelos are the artists selected for practices that have contributed significantly to the projection and recognition of Portuguese art, both at home and abroad. Based in Portugal, these six artists represent different generations, means of expression and critical perspectives. With the SELO // ARTE project, philately becomes a space for creation, memory and celebration of living culture in Portugal. Through this series, contemporary Portuguese art comes closer to the public, circulates, communicates and endures over time.
Verónica de Mello
Project Curator
PEDRO CABRITA REIS (Lisbon, 1956)
Pedro Cabrita Reis lives and works in Lisbon. Since his first solo exhibition in 1981 he has developed a complex and multifaceted oeuvre, using media such as drawing, painting, sculpture and installation. His works explore themes linked to construction, architecture and memory, with special attention to the occupation and transformation of space, using simple materials and everyday objects. He took part in Documenta IX in Kassel (1992), the 22nd and 24th São Paulo Biennials (1994 and 1998), and represented Portugal at the 50th Venice Biennale (2003). He has been honoured with the Plastic Arts Prize of the International Association of Art Critics (2000) and the rank of Grand Officer of the Order of Infante D. Henrique (2023).
RUI CHAFES (Lisbon, 1966)
Rui Chaves lives and works in Lisbon. With a degree in sculpture from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon and the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, Rui Chafes has exhibited regularly since the 1980s both in Portugal and abroad. He represented Portugal at the 46th Venice Biennale (1995) and the 26th São Paulo Biennale (2004), with Vera Mantero. In 2018, he held an exhibition of sculptures in public spaces in Bamberg, Germany, and an exhibition in dialogue with Alberto Giacometti at the Gulbenkian Foundation in Paris. In 2022, he exhibited at the Serralves Museum in Porto and with Pedro Costa and Paulo Nozolino at the Centre Pompidou in Paris. He has been awarded the Robert-Jacobsen Prize (2004) and the Pessoa Prize (2015).
PEDRO CALAPEZ (Lisbon, 1953)
Pedro Calapez lives and works in Lisbon. He completed a degree in Painting in 1981 at the University of Fine Arts in Lisbon and is one of the most recognised names of the 1980s, marked as the period of the “return to painting”. His work has been exhibited in various galleries and museums in Portugal and abroad, and he took part in the 42nd Venice Biennale (1986) and the São Paulo Biennale (1987 and 1991). Throughout his career he has been honoured with various awards, including the Lagos 84 Biennial Prize (1984), the Cerveira Biennial Prize (1986) and the AICA – International Association of Art Critics Prize (2005), among others.
ÂNGELA FERREIRA (Maputo, 1958)
Ângela Ferreira lives and works in Lisbon. She grew up in South Africa and holds a Master's degree in Fine Arts from the University of Cape Town. Her work investigates the legacies of colonialism and post-colonialism, exploring the tensions between architecture, memory and identity. She represented Portugal at the 52nd Venice Biennale (2007) with a project on Jean Prouvé's Maison Tropicale. She has exhibited at various international institutions and biennials. She was awarded the Caldas da Rainha Biennial Sculpture Prize (1995), a Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation grant (1989-90), the Novo Banco Photo Prize (2015) and, in 2018, became an Honorary Research Fellow at Wits University, Johannesburg.
FERNANDA FRAGATEIRO (Lisbon, 1962)
Fernanda Fragateiro lives and works in Lisbon. Her work explores the relationship between art, architecture and space. Through an almost archaeological approach, she critically investigates modernism, revealing hidden narratives in archives, objects and places such as monasteries or orphanages. Her minimalist interventions fuse sculpture and architecture, making subtle changes to the environment. She has been honoured with the Tabaqueira Prize (2001), the AICA/MC/Millennium BCP Prize (2017), the Apertura Prize (2023) and the INCM Art Prize (2024), among others.
JOANA VASCONCELOS (Paris, 1971)
Living and working in Lisbon, Joana Vasconcelos is a Portuguese artist recognised for her monumental sculptures and immersive installations. With humour and irony, she questions the status of women, consumer society and collective identity. She gained international recognition in 2005 with A Noiva (The Bride), during the Venice Biennale. In 2013, she represented Portugal with Trafaria Praia at the 55th Venice Biennale. In 2012 she exhibited at the Palace of Versailles, and in 2018 became the first Portuguese artist to have a solo exhibition at the Guggenheim Bilbao. She has collaborated with Dior since 2013, most notably with the installation Valkyrie Miss Dior (2023), shown in Tokyo, Paris, Seoul and New York.
