MÁRIO FERREIRA DA SILVA
SCULPTOR CERAMIST
BIOGRAPHY
Mario Ferreira da Silva was born and lives in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. He got a degree as a
technical ceramist in Portugal. Then, as a scholar of the Gulbenkian Foundation, he went to Italy,
where he attended the Institute of Ceramic Art Gaetano Bellardini, in Faenza, and a course of
Sculpture, in Perugia. In study trips, he travelled across Switzerland, Germany, England, France,
Italy, Holland and Spain. In 1971, by invitation of the Portuguese government makes and
supervises the placement of 80 panels of ceramic for the John Fitzgerald Kennedy Center for the
Performing Arts, in Washington DC – USA. He is titular member of the International Academy of
Ceramics - advisory organ of UNESCO, in Geneva.
He is included in " NEW DIRECTIONS IN CERAMICS ", published in England (by initiative of the
International Center of Ceramics of Rome), in " L'ART DE LA CÉRAMIQUE AUJOURD'HUI DANS
LE MONDE ", of the Rumanian editions Meridiane (by initiative of the Union of the Plastic Arts of
the Socialist Republic of Romania), in " MAESTRI DELLA CERAMICA MODERNA, editions of
1984 and 1985, and in " THE CERAMIC IN VILA NOVA DE GAIA ", Manuel Leão, Portugal 1999.
From 1978 to 1980, he taught Ceramics in the Art School - Soares dos Reis - in Porto. Since
1994 he has been teaching in the University School of Art in Coimbra – EUAC – and he is
responsible for the degree of ceramics.
His works can be seen in several national and foreign museums, namely in the Art Collection of
the Portuguese Ministry of Culture; Amadeo de Souza Cardoso Museum – Amarante; Diogo de
Macedo Gallery and Municipal Library of Vila Nova de Gaia; Museum of Óbidos - Portugal;
International Museum of Ceramics in Faenza – Italy; Everson Museum of Art - New York – USA,
as well as in numerous private collections in Europe, Africa, Asia and America. He has made
several murals for public and private entities, namely, in 1998, the conception and execution of a
45 meters long Ceramic Mural, in relief, for the new railway station of Ermesinde, Porto (Portugal)
and in 1999/2000 the conception and execution of a great Ceramic Mural (about 200 square
meters) in relief, for the wall of the main altar of Bragança's new Cathedral and in 2001/2002 a
ceramic sculpture of great dimensions for the shrine of the same cathedral.
In 1998, he participates, as guest, in the 1st International Congress of Ceramists in Talavera de la
Reina – Spain.
In 1989, he participates, with the Italian ceramists Nino Caruso and Pompeo Pianazola, in the
seminar “Ceramics in the Architecture” in CENCAL – Caldas da Rainha – Portugal.
In 1990, he promotes, coordinates and carries out the “1st International Ceramics Seminar – Gaia
90” under the theme “Earth/Fire – Gaia as a Ceramic Center” - Portugal
In 1998, he participates, as guest, in the 1st International Congress “COTTATERRA
Ceramica dalla tradizione all'innovazione”, in Perugia, Italy.
- Arte
In 2001/2002, he participates with Nino Caruso, in the conception and execution of a monumental
ceramic sculpture, in modular typology, allusive to the twenty centuries of history of the town of
Coimbra - Portugal.
MÁRIO FERREIRA DA SILVA
SCULPTOR CERAMIST
Main Exhibitions
1958 – I Salão de Arte Mineira do Pejão; 1960 – Centro Ramalho Ortigão; 1959/60/61/62/64 - I,
II, III, IV and V Salão dos Novíssimos - Portugal; 1961 - Kiln Club Biennial, Washington - USA;
1962 - I International Exhibition of Modern Ceramic, Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata - Argentina;
1965 – Salão dos Artistas Premiados, S.N.I. and Portuguese Pavilion of the Commemorative
Exhibition of the IV Centenário do Rio de Janeiro - Brazil; 1966/67/68/69/70/73 - I, II, III and IV
Salão Nacional de Arte Moderna - Portugal and XXIV, XXV, XXVI, XXVII and XXXI International
Competition of Ceramic of Art, Faenza - Italy); 1969 - Exhibition of Homage to Amadeo de Souza
Cardoso, Amarante and Porto - Portugal and " Internationals Kunsthandwerk ", Stuttgart Germany; 1970 - Itinerant Exhibition of the five artists rewarded by S.E.I.T. - Portugal; 1972 International Exhibition of Modern Ceramic, Albert and Victória Museum, London - UK; 1975 - II
Encontros Internacionais de Arte em Portugal
- Viana do Castelo; 1978 - "Concorso
Internazionale Della Ceramica d’Arte Contemporanea ", Faenza - Italy; 1980 - " 6éme Biennale
Internationale de Céramique d’Art , Vallauris - France; 1981 - Portuguese Contemporary
Ceramic, Estoril; 1980/82/84 - Biennial of Vila Nova de Cerveira - Portugal; 1987 - I International
Biennial of Ceramic of Óbidos - Portugal; 1989 - First International Biennial of Artistic Ceramic,
Aveiro - Portugal; Embassy of Portugal in Maputo - Mozambique - by invitation of ICEP; 1990 Portuguese Contemporary Ceramic Art exhibition, in the I International Seminar of Ceramic, Gaia
90 - Portugal; 1991 - " Media Terra in Fhare -Sud - Centre Européen des Métiers de l’Art
Contemporaine - Gruisban - France - 20 Ceramists of 5 Mediterranean countries”; - 1999 – III
Biennial of Art - Vila Real - Portugal under the theme " O Adeus ao Escudo, Os Portugueses em
Portugal, na Europa e com o Euro”; by initiative of the Foundation Copertino de Miranda . 2004
– 1st European Ceramics Competition – Amarousion – Greece, during the Olimpic Games. 2007 “XIV Bienal Internacional de Arte” de Vila Nova de Cerveira; 2008“ - XIII Edizione della
manifestazione artística delle Vaselle D’Autore per il Vino Novelle” in TORGIANO, Perugia – Italy
Main Individual Exhibitions
Since 1961, he has made several individual exhibitions and performances.
Prizes
1957 - Prize “Fábrica de Porcelana da Vista Alegre” and Prize “Mestre Joaquim Lopes” Portugal; 1961 - National Prize “Sebastião de Almeida” - Portugal; 1969 - National Prize of
Ceramic - Portugal; 1973 – Gold medal in the XXXI Concorso Internazionale della Ceramica
d’Arte Contemporanea, Faenza - Italy; 1974 - Diploma of Honour in " Quatrième Biennale
Internationale de Céramique d’Art de Vallauris - France; 1979 - Prize “Rafael Bordalo Pinheiro”,
Caldas da Rainha - Portugal; 1989 - Honourable mention in the I Bienal Internacional de Aveiro;
2000 - Honourable mention in " Prémio Nacional of Homage to Sculptor Aureliano Lima " Portugal.