To celebrate the genius and legacy of António Variações (1944–1984), Terra Esplêndida collaborated with MUDE – the Museum of Design in Lisbon, on the production and presentation of the exhibition Meu Nome António – Photography by Teresa Couto Pinto 1981–1983. The exhibition brings together photographs of the Portuguese pop culture and music icon, captured at decisive moments in his short but remarkable career, as well as in the intimacy of his home, by photographer Teresa Couto Pinto.

Teresa Couto Pinto was Variações’ agent and photographer in the 1980s and, above all, his friend and confidante. She closely followed his creative process in the development of his albums and artistic persona, at a time when his musical and aesthetic vision, innovative for the standards of the era, as beginning to set him apart in the Portuguese cultural landscape. She had privileged access to the man behind the artist, whom she also photographed with sincerity and delicacy in moments of relaxation.

The approximately 85 photographs featured in the exhibition, some of them never shown before, were selected from Teresa Couto Pinto’s photographic archive by curator Bárbara Coutinho, director of MUDE. Meu Nome António – Photography by Teresa Couto Pinto 1981–1983 also includes clothing and personal objects belonging to the musician, helping to contextualize his creative and personal universe.

Photographs from the gallery: Courtesy of MUDE – Museum of Design © MUDE Luísa Ferreira