Oficina Marques

A multidisciplinary Art and Design studio, Oficina Marques is about seeing to feel. Led by the creative duo Gezo Marques and José Aparício Gonçalves since May 2018, their work is guided by the motto ‘Tusa de Viver’ — an optimistic worldview that metaphorically expresses not only the artists' own way of being, but also runs as a common thread throughout all their creations: “a reflection of art that seeps into everyday life.”

Inimitable colours and patterns, combined with the geometry and organic nature of lines and forms, give life to Art and Objects that may take the shape of wooden or ceramic panels, signature ceramics, wooden sculptures, and assemblages of found objects. The starting point often comes either from a variety of objects handpicked by the artists or from neutral raw materials, transformed through the duo’s unique creative process, one based on the ability to see potential in all things.

Gezo Marques was born in Jundiaí, a city in the interior of São Paulo State. With a degree in social communication, he worked in advertising in São Paulo before moving to Lisbon in 1997. After more than 20 years as an art director and creative director in agencies in the Portuguese capital, during which he won a Cannes Lions award among others, he decided to unleash his imagination and co-founded Oficina Marques with José Aparício Gonçalves.

José Aparício Gonçalves is passionate about Lisbon, the city where he was born and which continues to be an endless source of inspiration for his creations. He develops these in partnership with Gezo Marques, with whom he founded Oficina Marques. With a background in design and cultural management, he is a multifaceted artist who has worked across disciplines such as painting, illustration, graphic design, printing, photography and video. The themes that shape the studio’s visual language — Sea, Forest, Body, Faith, and Lisbon — lead us into a realm where art, design, and craftsmanship are in perfect harmony.