Nuno Reis (graffiti artist)

Nomen
Born	Nuno Reis March 2, 1974 Luanda, Angola
Died	August 4, 2022 Portugal
Nationality	Portuguese
Known for	Street art, Murals, Graffiti

Nuno Reis (Angola, March 2, 1974 - Portugal, August 4, 2022), better known as Nomen, was a self-taught Portuguese graffiti artist. Alongside his colleagues Ram and Utopia, he formed the Double Trouble Crew.

Biography

Reis was born in Angola in 1974 and lived there until he was two years old. From the age of 14, he developed an interest in murals. He spent much of his later life in Portugal and also worked for a considerable time in England. In 1989, Reis created his first public works on walls and trains along the Cascais line in the Carcavelos area. He is therefore considered one of Portugal's graffiti pioneers.

After years of honing his craft in the underground scene, he became a renowned urban and street artist. At a certain point, however, he decided to make the transition to becoming a professional artist. From then on, he primarily worked on commission for governments and businesses, creating both small and large-scale works on walls, buildings, and industrial structures. In addition, he produced many imaginative paintings on canvas. Over the years, his works have been exhibited in multiple countries.

Reis, the self-proclaimed "style swinger," was versatile and prolific.

Reis passed away on August 4, 2022 in Portugal.

Style

He primarily used acrylic spray paint, which limits the level of detail compared to more refined techniques. In his early years, he adopted more classical street art compositions and did not shy away from incorporating social criticism in his works. His most recent pieces still include elements of typography and street art, featuring subjects like celebrities, fantasy characters, film figures, or vibrant 3D text in a recognizable street art style.

Murals

In his murals Reis frequently addresses social and political issues, including themes of injustice, human rights, and environmental awareness. His murals serve as public commentaries, intended to provoke thought and reflection on critical issues.

Notable Work:

• Batman slapping Robin (2010): Reis' interpretation of the famous meme. The mural was created as part of the comics mural painting competition in Amadora, Portugal.
• Angela Merkel manipulating Portuguese politicians as puppets on strings (2012): Just before Angela Merkel's visit to Lisbon, Nomen created this political commentary together with Slap and Kurtz.
• Black girl taking off a white mask (2014): The mural is located on the side of a social housing flat in the Quinta do Mocho suburb. The work shows a black girl removing a white mask, and is political commentary that residents of the neighbourhood felt like they had to be ashamed that they lived there and sometimes even lied about it. This mural was created during the O Bairro i o Mundo festival and has become a landmark in Quinta do Mocho.

Paintings

In his figurative works, we find both abstract and realistic representations of figures such as Picasso, Marilyn Monroe, and Catherine Zeta-Jones, as well as characters like Mickey Mouse and Super Mario. These subjects are depicted against an abstract background filled with variations of colors and shapes. In addition to signing his works with "Nomen," he frequently integrated his artist name into the subjects and backgrounds of his pieces.

Notable series created by him include "Girl from Ipanema", "Feat. Roy Lichtenstein", and "The Saint," along with individual works such as "Marilyn in Wonderland" and "Catherine Zeta-Jones Universe."

Expositions

His works were exhibited in many countries, including France, Israel, Panama, and Qatar. Shortly before his death, from April 8 to 10, 2022, they were also displayed at Le Carrousel du Louvre during the Salon International de l'Art Contemporain.

Images

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