COMMUNITY
CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS During November, across the country there were hundreds of celebrations for the centenary of the birth of Sophia de Mello Breyner Andresen, often just referred to as Sophia, she was one of Portugal’s greatest figures in literature. President of the Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa awarded posthumously, the GrandeColar da Ordem de Sant'Iago da Espada. Sophia became the first Portuguese woman, and the first non-head of state to receive such distinction. While Sophia spent her working life in Lisbon she would spend her holidays in Lagos, where she owned a home on the street that bears her name. As part of the celebrations, the Municipality of Lagos decided to create a permanent reminder of the poet and author, by commissioning two new urban wall art projects for the city. When the Câmara briefed Laboratório de Actividades Criativas (LAC) with the ambitious project, they knew exactly who to ask. The artist known as SAMINA was invited to undertake this prestigious work. SAMINA first caught the eye with his distinctive works when he was invited by LAC for an ARTURb art residency in 2013. “I was starting to paint more and more at that time. I had recently finished Architecture School when I received the invitation from LAC. I fell in love with the experience there. I also fell in love with the project, becoming a good friend of everyone from LAC. Since then, every year I come to Lagos once, or twice a year, to do some
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projects with them. Workshops or painting some walls, or just to check the results of ARTURb residence. I have met some of my best artist friends and great artists here. So, for the last six years, Lagos has become a special place to me. I feel at home there and it is always good to be back.” LAC supported his work by supplying the equipment, and the gallons of paint for the artwork. “Each project has its own specificities, depending on the ground conditions next to the wall. We chose the best way to make it happen, so for the first mural I used a scissor-lift, and for the second, the cherry picker. I use plastic paint for big shapes and backgrounds, and spray paint for the stencil. Stencil is my main technique to reproduce images and faces.” Photo © LAC At eight-metres wide, four high, the first giant mural of Sophia adorns the elementary school that bears her name. The second can be found appropriately, on the road named in honour of the famous Lagos educator. Rua. Joaquim Alberto Taquelim. Fifteen-metres tall and five wide, the giant mural of Sophia looking out, makes me feel that I didn’t pay enough attention in English. Thirty-year-old SAMINA is from Quinta do Anjo, a small village called close to Setúbal, from where he divides his time between Teresópolis in Brazil with his Brazilian wife. His artistic lifestyle