The Gallery of Regency Art Hotel’s “Soul to Soul” exhibition in Taipa presents a collection of sculptures by Portuguese architect-cum-artist Cristina Maria de Faria Rocha Leiria that spans decades of personal and artistic development.
The sales exhibition features 28 sculptural works created in crystal, bronze, tin and resin, reflecting Leiria’s exploration of form, emotion and symbolism. Leiria told the Post last week in an interview at the exhibition that the exhibits were created over a long period of time, with each work developed around a single theme and completed in about a month, allowing space for reflection and conceptual refinement.
Leiria trained as an architect and is professionally specialised in low-cost housing design for the underprivileged and slum dwellers. Her sculptural practice emerged later in life, following her early retirement from public service due to health reasons.
Sculpture subsequently became both a creative outlet and a means of her livelihood, with Leiria saying that for her livelihood she relies on the sale of her works. The exhibition also includes bronze and tin sculptures, alongside resin works intended to be more accessible due to their durability and affordability.
Among the sculptures on display, two crystal pieces are very valuable, Leiria said, because they are numbered, signed by her and were produced about 20 years ago, “and they are not produced like that anymore”. She noted that other sculptures in bronze also hold special value due to their “unique design”.
While the gallery also displays paintings by other artists, “Soul to Soul” centres on Leiria’s sculptural output and her intention to convey personal values and experiences through tangible form.
The exhibition is also positioned as a prelude to a larger virtual exhibition planned in Shanghai later this year, which will present her work to an international audience.
With free admission, the exhibition runs through this Saturday, with opening hours from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The exhibition offers visitors an insight into Leiria’s transition from architecture to sculpture, highlighting a body of work shaped by personal history, craftsmanship, and artistic perseverance.
Photos: Khalel Vallo
