On June 17th, the popular Portugalia Marketplace opened a visual art exhibition by Portuguese American artist José Lucas Santos. Santos is a Boston-based artist whose work has been part of Harvard Art Museum’s permanent collection. This art exhibit, entitled Vozes Portuguesas, is a mix of works featuring family and friends from New England and Évora de Alcobaça. In his artist statement, Santos states, “My Portuguese-American ethnicity has been a source of inspiration. As a child and teenager, I was raised in the tight-knit Portuguese-American community of Ludlow, Massachusetts, spoke only Portuguese at home, and was influenced by the traditions that my parents brought from Portugal when they immigrated to the United States from the farming town of Evora de Alcobaça, in the 1950s. For me, art is autobiographical, and no matter where my explorations take me as an artist, they are always firmly grounded in my cultural roots.”

While many of the works in the exhibition were made in the 1990s and 2000s, they all have an air of timelessness. One painting that grabbed my attention features a circle of men drinking wine, singing, and playing the accordion at a festa. Santos told me this painting was based on a moment he experienced in the 1990s, and yet I felt that this moment could occur in any festa in New England. Santos’ attention to detail no doubt makes this vision feel more “alive”. If you take a moment to analyze the scene, you will notice that each man in the circle is visually distinct, and the crowd in the back watching them displays a range of reactions. If you take a moment to analyze the scene, you will notice that each man in the circle is visually distinct, and the crowd in the back watching them displays a range of reactions. I was captivated by this artwork because it felt like I was looking through a window into a moment in time, both past and present.

An interesting aspect of the Vozes Portugesas exhibit is that Santos’ work is scattered throughout the market. Active searching or incidental discovery of exhibit pieces is essential and complements the various Portuguese products offered by the store, both culturally and aesthetically. These images show the strong bonds among friends and family, the importance of food, and vibrant colors. No matter where you look, you will be reminded of the diversity and beauty of the Portuguese-American experience.