Ilídio Moura is a Brazilian artist based in London whose practice centres on oil painting on canvas. Initially trained in contemporary portrait painting, Moura has spent over a decade living outside his original cultural context. His current work explores memory and the divine, while questioning religion and contemporary society. Inspired by the concept of Anthropophagy by Oswald de Andrade, Moura metaphorically “consumes” European culture, engaging with movements such as Impressionism and Expressionism.

Working from photographs, sketches and memory, his paintings often begin with a loose drawing, followed by layered applications of colour. Errors and unexpected forms become integral elements of the composition. Outside the studio, and in contrast to the tropical climate of his homeland, Moura also explores colour theory and light through plein air painting.

His work moves between the figurative and the abstract. Through the use of vibrant colour, expressive brushwork and a sense of ambiguity, his practice is shaped by the experience of displacement between Brazil and the United Kingdom, where different cultural references intersect and transform. Moura seeks to create pictorial spaces in which viewers can project their own memories and emotions, establishing an intimate connection with the work.

Intuition plays a central role in both his drawing and application of colour. It functions as a channel for the subconscious, shaped by lived experience — personal, professional and intellectual. This process allows the work to emerge organically, resulting in paintings that feel genuine and spontaneous rather than premeditated.