SARDINE

A gaze at such a Portuguese way of feeling. The true meaning of “saudade”, so well translated by the words and sounds in the voice of this artist, who belongs to us as much as the sardine. Ours and the world’s. And about her [as one fado says] “the walls will confess nothing”...

Can a sardine surf? It is so fresh and knows how to jump, to master the bottom turn, the off-the-lip and the float. It performs everything to get the perfect wave. But then the sea calms down and feels like resting. Our sardine loves to sunbathe!

The sardine is always with us. Not only does it fulfil us, but it also presents us with the beautiful sounds of the sea and of the soul of Lisbon. What you can hear in the song of the sardines is endless. Let this magical music break free within you.

The sardine “Eléctrica 28” wanted to make the most charismatic route of Lisbon and convey the experiences of its inhabitants. But not only them, because nowadays there are more tourists than locals. From Estrela to Graça, including the Basílica da Estrela, the Chiado, the Sé, the viewpoints over the river Tagus and the Feira da Ladra, this sardine does not stop. It’s really electric!

Miss Castelinhos” is based on the film “A Canção de Lisboa” [The Song of Lisbon], from 1933, and its main character, Alice, played by Beatriz Costa. All the details (thimble, pins and embroidery) portray the occupation of the character, a seamstress from the Castelinhos Neighbourhood. A Miss Sardine.

This sardine-swimming pool contains in itself the warmth and fun, so typical of the summer season and the festivities of St. Anthony. In the foreground, a voluptuous swimmer dives for refreshing moments.

We can call it a tribute to the Sanctuary of Fatima, which annually welcomes pilgrims from all over the world, on a pilgrimage to express their faith and belief in the place of the apparition of Our Lady to the three Shepherd children: Francisco, Jacinta and Lúcia. A holy sardine!

If there is something that characterizes Lisbon Festivities, it is the bailaricos (popular dancing)! And why not add our sardine to the dance? But because the confusion is too great and stepping is a constant, it’s not simple dress for this occasion. It’s important to have the right footwear to dance!

Today, a sardine came to my window sill and asked me to tell a story about her ... and I did so. One of the magic things about image is that it allows us interpretative freedom. To discover various stories, inside someone’s story. This was my story, what’s yours?!

You miserable fishwife, you ate sardines in the morning and in the evening, you fell in love with a fisherman who was taken by the sea.

Rendez-vous in Paris, Pont des arts, 16h13, the wind blows gently…

Rendez-vous in Paris, Pont des arts, 16h24, the sky becomes overcast…

Rendez-vous in Paris, Pont des arts, 16h32, some raindrops…

Rendez-vous in Paris, Pont des arts, 16h46, it is raining but it is fine…

The High Tide Sardine is an allusion to deep sea fishing, symbolizing both the lull and the storm that diminishes us. The whole of the sea inside of a sardine.

It was just an anonymous and pale Sardine. It sought colour and participated in the “Festas de Lisboa” (Lisbon Festivities). As the event’s icon, it deserved a monumental illustration. So, I tried to create a symbiosis between the sardine and the Santa Justa Elevator. The Santa Justa Sardine, once anonymous and pale, now parades in colour and tradition.

The sardine, with its silvery blue and black hues, darker on the back and lighter on the sides and belly, is found in the northeast Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea, where it dwells on coastal areas, between 25 and 100 meters deep. It undertakes migrations in large shoals that protect fish from predators during the day, in deeper waters, and move at night-time to shallower waters to feed on algae and small crustaceans. It reproduces from October to April, a time when sardines are leaner and not so tasty. The sardine is the most popular fish in summer festivals and fairs in Portugal, as well as the main species used in the Portuguese canning industry.

Venice, masked and ready for the carnaval in the city of mystery, romance, music and drama. Inspired by renaissance frescos of the churches, Venetian textiles and lace, the canal streets and the mix of bold graphic signs this sardine glides though the water quicker than a gondola.

Inspired by the love verses that the girls of the Minho region embroidered on handkerchiefs for their boyfriends, this sardine represents the promise of endless love. The Sweetheart Handkerchiefs are recognised by their strong colours, love symbols and spelling errors. It was a romantic allurement ritual where the sewing needles were the keyboard at that time.

Sardine! The Queen! To promote the Sardine to Queen, giving her power and sovereignty, was one of the goals. Of hearts, because the heart is symbolically associated with love; in this case, for a city that smells of basil and is kissed by the Tagus.

Created in honour of Almada Negreiros. The murals that were the inspiration for this illustration, the panels of the Rocha Conde de Obidos Maritime Station in Alcântara, are one of the strongest evocations of old time Lisbon. The monumental size, colour intensity and above all, the life they transmit are breathtaking.