About

BIO

Inês Santiago (b. 1979, Coimbra, Portugal) lives and works in Portugal, between Lisbon and Costa Nova, Aveiro.

A multidisciplinary artist, she is currently undertaking an artist residency at BASE, an advanced artistic development programme, and was previously artist-in-residence at Duplex, Lisbon. Her work has been exhibited at The Building Centre, London, the Bienal Mário Botas, Nazaré, Museu de Aveiro / Santa Joana, Galeria 23A, Lisbon, and Espaço AL 859, Porto. In October 2026, she will present a solo exhibition at Casa da Cultura de Ílhavo.

With a background in Design and a 20-year international career in UX Design and Leadership, her practice is informed by a systems thinking approach, close observation and the creation of visual rules. Working across assemblage, collage, sculpture and photography, she investigates how framing, proximity, scale, context and technique alter perception and shape the way we observe the world around us.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My artistic practice centres on perception. Working with found materials, ordinary objects and everyday situations, I apply rules, shift contexts and create new relationships that bring familiar elements to the edge of recognition. By unsettling habitual ways of seeing, I seek to make observation slower, more attentive and more conscious.

My recent work explores how physical and visual devices shape what becomes perceptible. Through framing, proximity, scale, context and technique, I investigate how small changes in the conditions of looking can alter both the image and the viewer’s experience.

Tthe work of “CV

Inês Vila Mona Santiago
Born in Coimbra, Portugal, 1979.
Lives and works between Lisboa and Costa Nova, Aveiro, Portugal.

Education
Since 2026 — advanced artistic development programme at A BASE, Lisbon, PT.
2008–2009 — Post-graduation in Motion Graphics, IDEP, Barcelona, ES.
2004 — Design Thinking Summer School, Aalto University, Helsinki, FIN.
2002–2006 — BA in Design, University of Aveiro, PT.
1997–2001 — Graduation in New Communication Technologies, University of Aveiro, PT.

Solo Exhibitions
2026 — Upcoming solo exhibition, Instruções para a Paisagem, Casa da Cultura de Ílhavo (CCI), invited by 23 Milhas, Ílhavo, PT.
2025/10 — “The Artworks of Nature, and The Nature of Artworks”, Pop-up gallery at the artist’s place, Costa Nova, Aveiro, PT.

Group Exhibitions
2026/07 — Open Studio, A BASE Artist Development Programme, showcasing the work of resident artists, Lisbon, PT.
.2026/06 — “Kindfire”, international group exhibition, by GREENy bastARTs collective, The Building Centre, London, UK.
2026/02 — “D’Onde és, para onde vais”, Arte na Invicta, Espaço AL 859 Gallery, Porto, PT.
2025/12 — “Pequenos Formatos”, Monumental Gallery, Lisbon, PT.
2025/12 — “30×30”, 23A Gallery, Lisbon, PT.
2025/12 — “Pequenos Formatos”, Porta do Café, Aveiro, PT.
2025/09 — “Bienal Mário Botas”, Cultural Centre of Nazaré, Nazaré, PT.
2025/09 — “Life”, Museum of Aveiro/Santa Joana – Pedra Gallery, Aveiro, PT.
2025/07 — “Barroco 3.0”, Foundation Eng. António Pascoal, Aveiro, PT.
2025/06 — “New Contemporaries” (online), Domio Gallery, London, UK.
2025/04 — “Abril Ilustrado”, Campo das Artes, Porto, PT.
2025/02 — “Hope” (online), Suboart Magazine.

Residencies
2026/07 — Duplex AIR, Lisbon, PT.

Collections
Inês Santiago features in various national private collections.

Awards (Shortlisted)
2025 — Bienal Mário Botas Award.
2025 — VAA Art500 International Award.

Publications & Press
2025/12 — “Artist Breakthrough Moments: OpenSpaces / In Conversation With Inês Santiago”, Visual Artists Association.
2025/06 — Contemporaries New Works 2025/01, “Exosqueleto Embalado Sem Destino”, Domio Gallery printed Exhibition Catalogue.
2025/04 — “04. Community Stories_ Inês Santiago”, interview for the project 40 days of drawing.
2025/02 — Suboart Magazine Nº36 (“Monocle”, selected for the exhibition “Hope”).

Professional Contributions
2025 — Artist member, Em Movimento (Multidisciplinary Artists Collective, Aveiro).
2025 — Artist member, Visual Artists Association (VAA).
2025 — Artist member, AveiroArte (Experimental Circle of Visual Artists of Aveiro).
2024–2026 — Art workshops for children, Costa Nova / Aveiro.
2013 — Art & Design Tutor, OBS Genne School, Hasselt, The Netherlands.