ARTIST BIO

I have a keen interest in painting traditions from other cultures and times, having specialised in old European master's techniques (Flemish oil painting | Baroque oil techniques | 19th century Academic drawing & painting) and have travelled to take courses in Russian and Greek iconography, Turkish Marbling (Ebru), Indian miniature (Mughal style), Chinese painting.

I studied Fine Arts (Painting) in Lisbon and carried on with The Prince's Foundation, LARA and several courses abroad.

I created and teach painting classes in London, at the Saatchi gallery, Bank of America, Grosvenor Estates, Linen Hall, classical drawing techniques at the Victoria & Albert Museum and as a guest artist for the National Portrait Gallery. I also teach Flemish oil painting technique in Lisbon at Museu de Arte Antiga (Portugal's National Gallery), university UAL and Galeria Monumental. I also run team building sessions for corporate clients including Discovery Chanel, Paramount, architecture offices KPF and Farrells, etc. I also teach Walt Disney artists through ILM - Industrial Light & Magic.

I specialised in portraiture, having exhibited in the UK, Canada and Portugal. I am a regular exhibiting artist for the Whitechapel Art Gallery 'First Thursdays'​ programme at Spitalfields Studios. I also became the first associate artist in the history of MNAC - Portugal's national museum of contemporary art.

My style has been influenced by the dramatic chiaroscuro of Caravaggio and Zurbarán. I also love the fine details of Dürer, the expressive line of Ingre's graphite drawings, the sculptural paintings of Théodore Géricault and Solomon J. Solomon. I admire the flesh tones of Bouguereau, the play of light of Ivan Aivazovsky, the intimacy in Mary Cassatt's pastels of mother and child; also the colour of Sorolla, the expressiveness of Nicolai Fechin, Winslow Homer and Isaac Levitan as well as the brush strokes of John Singer Sargent and Anders Zorn.

I revere the artworks of contemporary figurative artists like Paula Rego (especially her pastels and etchings), Lucian Freud, Giorgos Rorris, Jenny Saville, Cristina Troufa, the landscapes of Marc Dalessio and Ray Roberts, Daniel Sprick, Jordan Sokol, Dennis Perrin (still life), Scott Waddell, Zhaoming Wu, Antonio Santin, Gerhardt Richter. I also admire abstract art by Howard Hodgkin, Art Venti, Yago Hortal, Kwang-Young Chun and installations by James Turrell and Janet Echelman.

www.nelson-ferreira.com

Common misspelling: Nelson Ferriera