About
Cristina Bento (b. Leiria, 1990) is a Portuguese visual artist whose work lies within the field of contemporary expressionism and abstractionism. In 2024, she decided to pursue her artistic career, having already participated in exhibitions in Amsterdam, New York, and Madrid, and held her first solo exhibition in Portugal.
Cristina Bento (b. Leiria, 1990) is a Portuguese visual artist who has built her path through the exploration of techniques, materials, and visual languages, always from an intimate approach. She began under the signature K@, an identity that marked a phase defined by formal experimentation and the exploration of supports and compositions. In 2024, she decided to take her work to a new level, giving voice to her talent as a visual artist. Today, she affirms her own name, Cristina Bento, as a symbol of the consolidation of her journey, while maintaining K@ as a mark of her initial trajectory.
Her artistic production is situated within contemporary expressionism and abstractionism, combining intense colors, symbolic constructions, and textures. She uses diverse materials — acrylic, plaster, paper, aluminum, or styrofoam — to develop compositions that oscillate between spontaneity and meticulous elaboration, exploring density, texture, and pictorial space.
In 2024, she made her international debut in a group exhibition at The Holy Art Gallery (Amsterdam). In 2025, she took part in exhibitions at Monat Gallery (New York and Madrid) and held her first solo exhibition in Portugal, entitled *Pensamentos e Sentimentos* (*Thoughts and Feelings*). That same year, she also participated in competitions such as the Artista d’Europa Award 2024 – PitturiAmo and tARTget – Painting Prize 2024, where she was a semifinalist.
Currently, Cristina Bento is preparing new projects for international competitions and exhibitions, including an upcoming presentation in Paris. Her artistic practice consolidates itself in a rigorous approach that combines formal research, material exploration, and aesthetic innovation, reinforcing her identity in the contemporary art scene. The permanence of the K@ signature in her works reflects the continuity of her trajectory, while the affirmation of the name Cristina Bento symbolizes the maturity and consolidation of her artistic language.
Artist Statement
"My work is rooted in contemporary expressionism, exploring the dialogue between the abstract and the symbolic. I use intense colors and diverse materials, such as acrylic, plaster, and aluminum, to expand the visual and plastic possibilities of painting. My practice is defined as a continuous process of experimentation and formal research."
"My artistic journey began under the name K@, an identity that represented an embryonic phase of experimentation and creative freedom. Today, I embrace my name, Cristina Bento, without fear, as an affirmation of maturity and the consolidation of a body of work that belongs to the field of contemporary expressionism. This transition reflects not only a personal evolution, but above all the construction of a conscious practice, grounded in research and formal exploration.
My works articulate the abstract and the symbolic, seeking to expand the limits of pictorial language through the diversity of materials and supports. I work with acrylic and plaster as well as paper, aluminum, and other materials that allow me to broaden horizons, developing compositions that explore textures, densities, and contrasts. This systematic experimentation transforms each canvas into a space of visual inquiry, where the process is as important as the value of the final outcome.
My references include artists such as Frida Kahlo, Picasso, and Salvador Dalí — not for the reproduction of their styles, but for the way they transformed established codes into their own languages. Dialogue with art history thus becomes a starting point for the creation of works that aim to position themselves in the present and propose new possibilities within contemporary expressionism.
Along this journey, each work is part of a visual language in constant transformation. The multiplicity of techniques, the exploration of materials, and the attention to the potential of form and color consolidate a practice that prioritizes research and the construction of new visual territories."
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