Ana Pinho Vargas is a Portuguese artist, photographer and painter based in Vila Nova de Gaia, Porto. She has a master’s degree in photography from the School of Arts of Portuguese Catholic University in Porto in 2022 and a bachelor’s degree in photography and visual culture from the Faculty of Design, Technology and Communication in IADE European University in Lisbon in 2019.
Ana comes from a family of musicians, her father a pianist and composer and her mother a harpsichordist and music teacher. Also, her twin brother, a double bass player in Hamburg Symphony Orchestra. She studied music from a young age, starting with violin and then the piano and harpsichord.
Her main exhibitions include “Silêncio” with Leonardo Collective, in the collective exhibition “Emerger. que nace, atraviesa, sale y tiene: Principio de Otra Cosa” at Matiz Art Gallery in Barcelona in November of 2024. Also include “O Diário”, part of the Panorama21, a collective exhibition in the School of Arts of Portuguese Catholic University in Porto in 2021 and “Silêncio”, part of X'18, a collective exhibition in Mute Gallery in Lisbon in 2018.
Her work “Silêncio II” was published in the latest ISSUE16 of AlTiba9 Contemporary Art Magazine and an interview was published in the artists interviews platform. She also did an interview/article, “Ana Pinho Vargas: The Harmony of Art and Music” for AATONAU, contemporary art blog by Bianca Kann, director of Aatonau. Her work “O Diário” was published in the bilingual publication commemorating 20 years of IRI – Imagens of Real Imaginado, organized by ESMAD, Escola Superior de Media e Artes e Design do Instituto Politécnico do Porto, in November.
The artist also participated in the Contemporary Art Catalog “Artists of Today and Tomorrow 5”, curated by Monica Ferrarini with the collaboration of Alice Di Piero at the beginning of December. Her work “Silêncio” was also published in the latest issue of Artist Close Up Contemporary Art Magazine, Issue 25. Ana also participated with her work “Silêncio” in ART Expo Trieste 2024, an International Biennale of Contemporary Art in Trieste, in December of 2024.
The artist won the International Award “Artist of the Year 2025 Prize” by Effetto Arte Fondazione and curators Salvatore Russo and Francesco Saverio Russo in January of 2025.
Her first solo exhibition, “Silêncio”, at the Photography Gallery of São João da Madeira Art Center, in São João da Madeira, Portugal will be in February of 2025.
The artist will also have two paintings, “Untitled” in the exhibition “The Body Language” by Liquid Group, in collaboration with ACIT Venice – Italian-German Cultural Association and GOETHE INSTITUTE, at Palazzo Albrizzi-Capello in Venice from February 14 to February 28 of 2025.
Ana Pinho Vargas will also participate with her work “O Diário” in “Artists for Artists” collective exhibition of Leonardo Collective in Buenos Aires, Argentina in March 2025.
She will participate in the XV Florence Biennale in 2025.
FUTURE EXHIBITIONS
2025 collective exhibition ⏤ XV Florence Biennale 2025 | Fortezza da Basso ⏤ Firenze, Italy
2025 collective exhibition ⏤ O Diário - Artists for Artists | Leonardo Collective | Casa Chaca - Buenos Aires, Argentina
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2025 Silêncio | Photography Gallery of São João da Madeira Art Center ⏤ São João da Madeira, Portugal
COLLECTIVE EXHIBITIONS
2025 Sem Título (2023) - The Body Language | Liquid Group in collaboration with ACIT Venice – Italian-German Cultural Association and GOETHE INSTITUTE | Palazzo Abrizzi-Capello ⏤ Venice, Italy
2024 Silêncio (2018) - ART Expo Trieste | International Biennale of Contemporary Art | Magazzino 42 ⏤ Trieste, Italy
2024 Silêncio (2018) - Emerger. que nace, atraviesa, sale y tiene: Principio de Otra Cosa, Leonardo Collective | Matiz Gallery ⏤ Barcelona
2021 O diário - Panorama21 Exhibition, School of Arts of Portuguese Catholic University | EA.UCP ⏤ Porto, Portugal
2019 Sombras - IADE exhibition - Puppet Museum | Lisboa, Portugal
2018 Silêncio (2018) - X`18 Exhibition - IADE, Mute Gallery | Lisboa, Portugal
2016 Nextart 2015-2016 - Nextart ⏤ Lisboa, Portugal
AWARDS
2025 ARTIST OF THE YEAR 2025 ⏤ Effetto Arte Fondazione, curated by Salvatore Russo and Francesco Saverio Russo ⏤ Florence, Italy
FESTIVALS
2024 Silêncio ⏤ Diafragma ⏤ III International Festival of Photography and Visual Arts | selection by Anibal Lemos ⏤ Covilhã, Portugal
PUBLICATIONS
2024 Silêncio ⏤ Artist Close Up Contemporary Art Magazine Issue 25 | December 2024
2024 O Diário ⏤ Artisti di Oggi e di Domani 5, Artists of Today and Tomorrow 5 | A cura di Monica Ferrarini | Gangemi Editore ⏤ Italy
2024 O Diário (2019-2021) ⏤ Imagens do Real Imaginado 20 anos | ESMAD - School of Media, Arts and Design of the Polytechnic of Porto | Vila do Conde, Portugal
2024 Silêncio II ⏤ Al-Tiba9 Contemporary Art Magazine Issue 16 - work and interview
2024 North of Portugal ⏤ Quadro Magazine - Nature & Travel August Issue 597 - work
2024 South of Portugal ⏤ Quadro Magazine - Nature & Travel June Issue 530 - cover and work
2024 Flores de música para instrumento de tecla e harpa (1620) Volume 3 - CD by Ana Mafalda Castro | Resonus Classics
2023 LAMENTOS - CD by António Pinho Vargas | ArtWay ⏤ Lisboa, Portugal
2022 O diário - CONTRAST II A FOTOGRAFIA NO ENSINO SUPERIOR | Scopio Editions ⏤ Porto, Portugal
2022 master thesis ⏤ O diário: diálogos entre a fotografia e a música| School of Arts of Portuguese Catholic University | EA.UCP ⏤ Porto, Portugal
2021 ESCOLA DAS ARTES ANUÁRIO 20-21| UCP ⏤ Porto, Portugal
2018 Ana Pinho Vargas Silêncio - blog Fascínio da Fotografia ⏤ Lisboa, Portugal
2018 Fotografia X`18 12 Projects by young auhtors - blog Fascínio da Fotografia ⏤ Lisboa, Portugal
INTERVIEWS
2024 Ana Pinho Vargas: The Harmony of Art and Music - article/interview for AATONAU, contemporary art blog by Bianca Kann, director of AATONAU
2024 10 Questions with Ana Pinho Vargas - Interviews Platform Al-Tiba9 Contemporary Art Magazine
2024 Silêncio II ⏤ Al-Tiba9 Contemporary Art Magazine Issue 16
COMPETITIONS
2024 Street Photo Contest 2024 ⏤ The Artist Gallery Awards
2024 Portrait Awards 2024 Contest ⏤ Lens Culture
2023 8th International Photography Award ⏤ 35Awards
2018 Street Photography Awards 2018 Contest ⏤ Lens Culture
WORK
2024 Mini Seixas Órgaõs de Tubos em Portugal | UC Universidade de Coimbra ⏤ Coimbra, Portugal
2024 By Harmony and Love | ESMAE ⏤ Porto, Portugal
2024 VIII Junior Academy of Baroque Music | ESMAE ⏤ Porto, Portugal
2023 XVII International Course of Early Music | ESMAE ⏤ Porto, Portugal
2023 VII Junior Academy of Baroque Music | ESMAE ⏤ Porto, Portugal
2019 V Junior Academy of Baroque Music | ESMAE ⏤ Porto, Portugal
2019 Verão Sénior and Vamos à Aventura | Junta de Freguesia de Campolide ⏤ Lisboa, Portugal
2018 Pathos Collection - GOA Jewelry ⏤ Lisboa, Portugal
2018 HOMEING 3rd edition ⏤ Lisboa, Portugal
2017 XIX Creatives Club Festival of Portugal ⏤ Lisboa, Portugal
CONFERENCES
2021 O diário - Presentation of the exhibitions of Panorama21, School of Arts of Portuguese Catholic University | EA.UCP ⏤ Porto, Portugal
2018 Silêncio - Photography Conferences Series III - Student Photography Day, Lisbon Municipal Archive | Lisboa, Portugal
FILM AND PHOTOGRAPHY
2019 Mario Raimundo ⏤ Documentary by Laura Klink and Ana Pinho Vargas | IADE ⏤ Lisboa, Portugal
2019 Black Pottery of Bisalhães ⏤ Documentary by Ana Pinho Vargas | IADE ⏤ Lisboa, Portugal