Manuel Almeida

Manuela

Jackson's Painting Prize 2023
Oil
Canvas
210 x 150 cm

“My work depicts Manuela, from Viana do Castelo, and her small grocery store, where she has worked for over 40 years. It is a cramped space, with little natural light, practically bare and with half-empty shelves, where you can find only the products that she knows are necessary for her regular customers. This scenario ends up in an image that appears to be a dark and austere portrait of isolation, but which also portrays someone who, despite past and present conditions, seeks to continue with some sense of normalcy in her life.

By the time I finished this work, Manuel was 90 years old and the grocery store has been permanently closed.”