About
Maria R. Saunders (b. 1990, Cascais, Portugal) is a visual artist based in Sintra. She holds a degree in Painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Lisbon, with an academic exchange at the Accademia di Brera in Milan, and a master’s in Fine Arts from Chelsea College of Art at the University of the Arts London. Her work is included in many private collections throughout Portugal, US and UK, and has been exhibited widely in Portugal and internationally, including at ArtRoom, Galeria São Mamede, and Galeria ISPA in Lisbon, the Natural History Museum of Sintra, and most recently at Plato Gallery in Évora, the Brunel Museum’s Tunnel in London and Artverse Gallery in Paris. She was a finalist for the Signature Art Prize in London where she exhibited at Old Spitafields Market and the São ou Não open call at Galeria São Mamede.
Her artistic practice intertwines painting and textile techniques, reflecting an interest in Portuguese textile traditions and the often-anonymous labor of women in these crafts. She approaches art as both a personal and political act, exploring themes of identity, freedom, and the intersection of contemporary femininity with historical narratives.
Her work is significantly inspired by literature, seeking to reflect on the duality of women’s lives—the contrast between professional careers and the familial role as Matriarch. She explores contemporary female experience, celebrating the boldness of femininity.
