Álvaro Lapa, *Personal Instruction*, acrylic paint on chipboard, Museu de Arte Contemporânea, Porto, Portugal

I am writing this while travelling in Portugal so it seems appropriate to focus on a Portuguese artist. Álvaro Lapa (1939-2006) is one of the most enigmatic and significant artists in 20th century Portuguese art. Much can and has been said about this art; however, today I focus on an aspect that speaks the most at a time when Israel is again at war, when the world that knows better falls again into the deep grooves of history’s wheels.

What I like about these works from 1969 is the calm of introspection. An introspection that given time leads to an understanding and acceptance of self which in turn leads to a greater tolerance of others and, one day, peace.

Álvaro Lapa, *Untitled*, acrylic paint on chipboard

There are many layers and aspects to the Álvaro Lapa‘s often biographical art. Working across the figurative, abstract and literary genres in a space all his own, he explored the intersection between the written word and pictorial expression, the amalgamation of landscape and domestic spaces, the convergence perhaps, of his soul and mind.

Introspection