Pedro Cabrita Reis inaugurated today, at the Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (MAAT), in Lisbon, an exhibition celebrating his 70th birthday. Titled "With a heart free of care," a phrase taken from the Greek poet Hesiod, the show is the artist's first solo exhibition at MAAT and will be on view until February 15, 2027. The museum is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year.
Curated by João Pinharanda, the exhibition brings together some 200 works, almost all unpublished and conceived specifically for the space. The show includes sculptures and various series of painting, collage, and drawing, exploring themes ranging from the jocular self-portrait to nature, intimacy, the body, and faith, in dialogue with works and authors from Western Art History, such as Monet, Rodin, and El Greco.
Among the series presented are "Ridi Paglaccio" (2025), with mixed-media self-portraits, "Nymphaea Redux" (2026), oil painting on wood inspired by Monet's water lily landscapes, and "Le Musée Secret" (2025), with figurative and sexual drawings citing Auguste Rodin. A series of 13 paintings inspired by El Greco, depicting the 12 apostles and Jesus Christ, was added at the last moment, because, according to the artist, "an exhibition is a work of art in permanent development."
During the press visit, Pedro Cabrita Reis stated that the exhibition is "excellent" and argued that museums need audiences and that the country should have a national education plan that includes visits to exhibitions from primary school. Regarding the religious theme present in the show, the artist explained that his "territory of faith is Art History."
