Marco Santos

Marco Santos is a self-taught figurative painter based in Portugal (b. 1981). His practice is grounded in the tradition of classical figurative painting, which he uses as a visual language to address contemporary culture.

Drawing from art history, everyday life, and popular imagery, Santos approaches pop culture as a form of modern iconography. In his work, contemporary cultural figures assume a role similar to that once held by mythological characters, saints, or historical heroes, reflecting shared values, narratives, and collective memory.

His paintings construct a figurative multiverse where fiction, reality, and art history coexist. Through visual crossings, figures from different cultural universes are brought together within classical compositions, everyday settings, or shared symbolic spaces. These encounters generate relationships of coexistence and symbiosis, creating new narratives that mirror the way contemporary culture blends timelines, identities, and imaginaries.

Marco Santos has exhibited his work in galleries across Spain, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States, and was recently featured in Beautiful Bizarre Magazine’s artist directory. His work invites viewers to recognize familiar icons beyond th...

Self-taught

Latest exhibitions

6ª Bienal Internacional de Arte de Gaia
Polo de Valença
Valença do Minho (Portugal)
2025

Anthology Gallery
Every Creature's Story
Online (Idaho, USA)
2025

Galería Léucade
110 Rex
Murcia (Spain)
2024

Modern Eden Gallery
The Portrait Show 12: Myth
San Francisco, CA (USA)
2024

Casa das Artes
Arcoz'Arte
Arcos de Valdevez, Portugal
2024

Sede Afundación
IV Exposición Colectiva a beneficio de "Tierra de Hombres"
Vigo, Spain
2024

Galería Léucade
Aquelarre
Murcia, Spain
2024

Galería Léucade
Ciclamen
Murcia, Spain
2024

Revolution Gallery
Something Wicked
Buffalo, NY (USA)
2023

Modern Eden Gallery
Beyond Original: The Portrait Show 11
San Francisco (USA)
2023

Galería Léucade
Poder
Murcia, Spain
2023

Centro de Arte Carcel Vieja
Héroes y Villanos
Murcia, Spain
2022

Galería Léucade
#Hashtag4
Murcia, Spain
2022

A Filantrópica
#Begentle
Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal
2022

Galería Léucade
Efecto Matilda
Murcia, Spain
2022

Galería El Punto Rojo
Freckles
Murcia, Spain
2022

4 Bienal Internacional de Arte de Gaia
Coronavírus não destroi a criatividade
Gaia, Portugal
2021

A Filantrópica
Eça - 26 anos depois
Póvoa de Varzim, Portugal
2021

Casa das Artes
Arcoz'Arte
Arcos de Valdevez, Portugal
2021

Galería Léucade
A...