Portuguese sculptor, born in Lisbon, attended courses at ARCO, Lisbon, BA Fine Arts, Goldsmith's College, London, M.F.A. Yale University, New Haven. In the mid 80's Rui was considered one of the leading figures of the so-called postmodernism. At the beginning his work appealed to the history of art, using as references David, Poussin and other artists, in a process of deconstruction of their paintings that lead to the construction of his own sculptures. By the 90's his sculptures are made in a process of placing sheets of particleboard on top of each other in stratified layers and then sawing them around to give the impression of organics. Solo exhibitions (selection) 1984 Drawings, SNBA, Lisbon, Et in Arcadia Ego, etc, Gal. Diferença, 1991 Drawings, Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation CAM, Lisbon, Gal. Stefania Miscetti, Rome, Gal. Cómicos/Luís Serpa, Lisbon, 1993 Chapelle de la Salpètriére, Paris, Gal. Camargo Vilaça, São Paulo. Collective shows (selection): 1985 Projectos de escultores, Gal. Diferença, Arquipélago, SNBA, Lisbon, 1986 Le XXème au Portugal, Brussels, III Exposição de Artes Plásticas, Calouste Gulbenkian F., Lisbon, Arte dos Anos 80, VII Pontevedra International Biennale, Spain, Cumplicidades, Gal. Emi Valentim de Carvalho, Lisboa, 1987, 19ª São Paulo Biennale, Brasil, 70-80 Arte Portuguesa, EUA; 1990 De Verzaneling II, Museum Van Hedendaagse Kunst Antwerpen, Antuérpia, Pastfuturetense, Winnipeg Art Gallery and Vancouver Art Gallery, Canada; 1992 Nova pintura, nova escultura, Casa Garen, Macau; Fundação de Serralves, Oporto, From silence to light, Watari-Um, Tokyo, 2000, Um Olhar sobre a Colecção Berardo, Sintra-Museu de Arte Contemporânea-Colecção Berardo, Sintra, Portugal. From 94 to 98, he was Assisting Director of Modern Art Center of Gulbenkian Foundation where he was the curator of the exhibitions Double Rooms, Treasure Island and Direction: Sculpture.
