Isabel Carvalho

Isabel Carvalho (born 1977) is a Portuguese artist, writer, editor and printer based in Porto. In 2020 she won the Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso Prize for Portuguese artists.

Early life and education Carvalho was born in Porto in 1977. She obtained an undergraduate degree in painting from the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Porto (FBAUP), a master's degree in printmaking from the Camberwell College of Arts of the University of the Arts London, a master's degree in image design from FBAUP, and a PhD in Cultural and Interartistic Studies from the Faculty of Arts, University of Porto. Initially, she had no idea what she wanted to do. Although enrolled in a painting course, she had no empathy with the prevailing interest in abstract expressionism and spent her time with design students who also produced comics or illustrations. This gave her exposure to printing techniques and led to her Master's course in printmaking.

She first started to get interested in print media when she discovered an anarchist bookstore in Porto where she purchased many fanzines. These were very diverse in content, but she was particularly influenced by those promoting Do it yourself alternative medicine for women, by comics, and by anarchist magazines. In her parents' house, most of the books were religious, together with a few examples of books found in other Portuguese house in the 1980s, such as those on the history of Portugal. These were books that she would make some use of in her work. Later she began to write and draw for print, inspired by comics, which showed her that it made sense to speak from personal experience.

Carvalho exhibits regularly, both individually and collectively and her work is represented in several public collections. She has undertaken artistic residencies at , Germany; , Barcelona, Spain and the Maaretta Jaukkuri Foundation, in Lofoten, Norway. In 2021 she was one of 40 artists chosen by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation for an exhibition in Lisbon of 20th-century and early 21st-century Portuguese women's art, called All I Want (Tudo O Que Eu Quero).

In 2010, together with Lígia Paz and Pedro Nora, she edited A Economia do Artista (The Economy of the Artist), with contributions from 20 writers who examine the complexity of the relationships between art and economics. She has also written under the name of Clara Batalha, a pseudonym that she chose around 2010, which can be read as a proper name or by its meaning, "bright battle".

Exhibitions Carvalho's solo exhibitions have been: 2025. Mimológica, Galeria Quadrado Azul, Lisbon; OSSA, Plato, Évora, Portugal. 2024. Editoria Errância, Culturgest, Lisbon. 2023. CASTING A SOUNDING VOICE, CAAA — Centro para os Assuntos da Arte e da Arquitetura, Guimarães, Portugal; Sistema Coreográfico — a Partir do ZumZum das Vespas Mecânicas Mupi Gallery /Maus Hábitos, Porto, Portugal. 2022. Museu Mineiro, Galeria Quadrado Azul, Porto, Portugal; The Grottos Community... new findings, A Gruta, Galeria Quadrado Azul, Lisbon, Portugal. 2021. Langages tissés d'Art Contemporain, Le Lait, Albi, Françe. 2019. AR(a)C(hné)-EN-CIEL, Galeria Quadrado Azul, Lisbon; Tácita, Segundas na Z, Galeria Zé dos Bois, Lisbon. 2018. loja dos espíritos - em cadeia de marcas partidas, moldadas - soma de enunciados - à semelhança das profecias sem fundo, suspensas na película - à tona - combinam-se - para resistirem, por extenso, a serem capturados num só passo!, Spirit Shop, Lisbon; Os ovários das papoilas, Sismógrafo, Porto. 2014. Seguir as luzes verdes, Projecto ARTES, Porto. 2013. Os cantores dos planaltos fundem linguagens, Kunstlerhaus Bethanien, Berlin, Germany. 2012. Orla, Galeria Quadrado Azul, Porto. 2008. Biting the hand that feeds you, Galeria Quadrado Azul, Lisbon; Trap, Mad Women in the Attic, Porto; Girls are dreaming about enormous machines, Óbidos, Portugal. 2007. A casa é sincera – residência artística comunitária / troca de talentos, Laboratório das artes, Guimarães; Solo, Hangar, Barcelona, Spain. 2006. Estação Arqueológica, Museu Martins Sarmento, Galeria SMS, Guimarães; Yes, I’m ; No I’m not, Galeria Quadrado Azul, Porto.