top of page

Rita Castanheira (b. 1996, Coimbra) is a Portuguese artist currently living and working in Porto. She graduated from the University of Porto with a bachelor’s in fine art - multimedia, and in 2020 completed her master’s degree in fine art at Chelsea College of Arts with distinction. In her practice, Rita explores her relationship with technology through moving images and various textile techniques. She is interested in how digital devices and popular internet culture are shaping the construction of individual and collective identity.

 

She has been exhibiting her work since 2016. She has participated in group exhibitions in Portugal and the United Kingdom, such as the Maia Biennial of Contemporary Art (Maia, 2025), "Houseshare" at Firstsite Colchester (Colchester, 2021), and "Late at Tate: Time" at Tate Britain (London, 2019). In 2024, she exhibited the project "Screensaver" at Kubíkulo (Porto) and presented her solo exhibition "Looking for signal" at the Caldeiraria gallery (Porto). That same year, she also participated in the art residency “Animais”, organized by Jared Hawkey and Sofia Oliveira.

​

​​​​​​​

​

CV

​

Education

 

2018-2020

MA Fine Art, Chelsea College of Arts (University of the Arts London), London

 

2014-2018

BA Visual Arts - Multimedia, Faculty of Fine Arts, University of Porto

 

Solo and duo exhibitions

 

2024

“Screen saver”, Kubíkulo, Porto

“Looking for signal”, Caldeiraria, Porto

“Shiver Down My Spine”, O.estúdio Bonfim, Porto

 

2021

“Ponto Morto”, in collaboration with Ana Luísa Madeira, Porto Image Month, Porto

 

Group exhibitions

 

2024

“Animals”, General Uniform and Equipment Workshops, Lisbon

“Insurgencies”, National Exhibition of Young Creators, Santa Maria de Lamas Museum

“Animals,” Cooperativa da Casa Branca, Casa Branca

Convergent Program, Year Zero - Coimbra Biennial, Coimbra

“Where is your safe space?”, :DDD Kunst House, Armenia

“Full Brand”, Branda, Porto

“Conflicted Natures”, Follow Art, Online

“Feminine of no one”, exhibition curated by Manuel Santos Maia, Espaço Mira, Porto

 

2023

“Plurifobisms”, Oficina Cobalto, Porto

 

2022

Artist participating in the Chilli Summer festival, CCOP, Porto

“Fine Art Alumni Show”, Chelsea College of Arts, London

 

2021

Artist participating in the Worm Winter festival, DE LICEIRAS 18, Porto

“House Share”, Firstsite Colchester, London

“Enchanting Cinema”, Motion Sickness Project Space, Cambridge

“Save as”, Estarreja Culture House, Estarreja

“Already in Telheiras”, Lagar da Quinta de S.Vicente, Telheiras

“Light box”, Estação Viva, Canela

 

2020

“I am a calm person but I get anger bursts”, Arroz Estúdios, Lisbon

“Open borders”, online exhibition with Portland Collective

“I like you better on the internet”, online exhibition with Independent Residence

“New Beginnings”, online exhibition on the Bedroom Artists collective website

 

2019

“Supernatural”, Wells Projects, London

“Wasteland 2.0”, HARTslane, London

“Finding a Click in a Haystack”, Cedofeita Shopping Center, Porto

Participating Artist, Open Mouth Film Festival, University of The Arts London, London Participating Artist, “Late at Tate: Time”, Tate Britain, London Degree Show, Chelsea College of Arts, London

“Too Much World”, The Cookhouse Gallery, London

“Cookies + Coke”, Old Biscuit Factory, London

“Factory Art Education”, Chelsea College of Arts, London

“Wasteland”, Filet Gallery, London

“One Night Stand”, Wimbledon College of Arts, London

“Thirst Fursday”, The Cookhouse Gallery, London

“Wicked Game”, Chelsea College of Arts, London

 

2018

“Password”, The Cookhouse Gallery, London

“Spectacular Sensation”, Medicine Gallery, London

“D’Après”, Rectorate of the University of Porto, Porto

“Operating Manual for Spaceship Earth”, The Museum (FBAUP), London

“Christopher got the loin”, Cedofeita Shopping Center, Porto

“Untitled”, BOX32, Porto

“Time-Lapse”, Solar Art Gallery, Vila do Conde 2017

 

2017

“YES”, Cultural Hunt, Porto

“Montage”, Duque de Saldanha Street, Porto

 

2016

“Images of the Inner Body”, the Museum (FBAUP), Porto

 

Residences

 

2024

Animals, New Media Artist Residency organized by CADA in collaboration with Cooperative of Casa Branca, Alentejo

 

2022

30works30days, Online Residency with 12th collective

 

2021

30works30days, Online Residency with 12th collective

 

2020

Independent Residence, Online Residence

 

2019

Vomiting Hearts, Online residency with Situation Internet collective,

 

Curation

 

“Transcendental Realms”, Online collection of final year student work, UAL Showcase

“Stretched boundaries”, Group exhibition by final year students, London College of Communication, Upper Street Gallery, London

“Surplus of the Unseen”, Online collection of final year student work made in collaboration with Camilla Nicosia and Ioanna Karagiorgou, UAL Showcase

“Displaced Affinities”, Online collection of final year student work made in collaboration with Camilla Nicosia, Ioanna Karagiorgou and Alize Sotelo Gutierrez, UAL Showcase

“Finding a Click in a Haystack”, curated collective exhibition at Cedofeita Shopping Center through the Haystack Projects project, Porto

Curating room CLG17 in the group exhibition “Wicked Game” in collaboration with Rosie Dalstrom, Chelsea College of Arts, London

​

Publications

 

2024

Catalogue of the exhibition “Insurgencies”, Santa Maria de Lamas Museum

Article written by Rui Barros for Meer magazine: https://www.meer.com/pt/80000-instalacoes-e-biotipos-virtuais-de-rita-castanheira 

 

2020

“Thatssosad: to be seen but not to be seen - the obsession of the self”, Article written by Tânia Teixeira for the Decay Art Criticism platform

Gallery Portal 33, Featured Artist on Etéra (online magazine/platform for emerging artists)

 

Awards

 

2024

Artist nominated for the Textile Art award at the National Exhibition of Young Creators organized by Gerador: https://gerador.eu/mostra-nacional-de-jovens-criadores/

 

2020

Student Initiative Fund, UAL, awarded to Haystack_projects

 

2016

Honorable mention for the acquisition award from the Prof. Anatomy Museum. Nuno Grande

bottom of page