1955-2022
Last Wednesday the artist and university professor Francisco Laranjo passed away. With no time for goodbyes, cancer got the better of him and the painter died in Oporto, in what had been his city for 52 years. Stories were left untold and exhibitions not held, in a career that already covered almost half a century.
The artist leaves a deep mark in the national art
The artist has left his mark on contemporary painting, as proved by many national and international awards. Among other distinctions, he received the Newcome Award in the 1st National Exhibition of Modern Arts, the Gold Medal of Merit, from Oporto City Council and the Gold Medal of Merit and Cultural Merit Award from the Lamego City Council. He was named a Commander of the Order of Public Instruction by the Presidency of the Republic in 2015.The former director of the Faculty of Fine Arts of Oporto has left his mark, including in places such as the Macau Cultural Centre and the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London, where his works are on display. Although he excelled in painting, the artist explored other mediums. He sculpted, drew and designed the stained-glass windows of the church of the Sagrada Família, in Chaves, and of the church of St. Martinho de Cedofeita, in Oporto. He will be remembered, therefore, as a multifaceted artist, who leaves a deep mark on national art.
