I am a self-taught Portuguese born in Faro in 1971. I am a father, husband, designer, curator, and event organizer. Above all, I am a dreamer who believes that life is a soundtrack of a movie that is still being written.

I discovered surfing as a passion at the age of 13, and since then, this activity has revealed to me a new world of colors and emotions, which I have used to reimagine the world through various creative languages and means of expression, especially design.

I must say that my career in art began when I stepped on a surfboard for the first time. Surfing has been my main influence, both personally and professionally.

I dedicated ten years of my life to the B.Side project (1998 to 2008), where I developed my own brand focused on creating products related to surfing and skateboarding.

In 2009, I moved to Sagres, Vila do Bispo, in search of my passion for this region and fulfilling my dream of living on the Costa Vicentina. My three children were born here, between 2011 and 2016.

During the period I was in Sagres, I was a mentor, curator, and co-organizer of the "Sagres Surf Culture" event, which brought together surfers, artists, thinkers, and activists from various creative and geographic areas between 2012 and 2016.

I have always been in constant search of giving visual voice to my thoughts, crossing different areas such as graphic design and illustration, in an aesthetic influenced by vast creative latitudes - from urban art to contemporary art. My work has been published in various books and magazines, and I have had the opportunity to present it in several lectures and conferences related to design and entrepreneurship.

I was an "Artist-In-Residence" at the Memmo Baleeira Hotel, where I created the "Surfactory - Design Studio". After living in Sagres for seven years, I moved to the island of São Miguel in the Azores in August 2016, in search of an even closer connection with nature. Currently, my family and I live on this island surrounded by the ocean, which is a constant source of inspiration for my work.

Here, in São Miguel, I created "Maré Alma - Studio & Workshop," where I divide my time between client work and projects signed by me. I have been delving into themes such as the environment and sustainability, which have been incorporated into my projects in recent years. Wood is increasingly my favorite material to work with, allowing me to escape from digital work.

Over the years, my journey as a self-taught person has allowed me to freely explore my interests and follow my own worldview. Here, I bring together some of the projects I have executed as an example of that.

Photo © João cabrita, Sagres.
www.joaocabritasilva.com