Bela Silva

Bela Silva was born in Lisbon and studied at the Schools of Fine Arts in that city and in Porto; at the Norwich School of Fine Arts; and at the Art Institute of Chicago.

Early in her career she held exhibitions in Chicago at Ann Nathan Gallery and Rhona Hoffman Gallery, and since then her work has been widely shown in Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Her work has been shown at the Lisbon Tile Museum, the Anastácio Gonçalves Museum, the Ajuda National Palace, the Ricardo Espírito Santo Foundation, the Oriente Museum, and the National Museum of Ancient Art in Lisbon, as well as the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris. She has also participated in exhibitions in China, Japan, Brazil, Spain, and France, and has led fine art ceramic workshops in Japan and Morocco, and has been a resident artist at Kohler (Wisconsin, USA) and at the Fábrica Bordalo Pinheiro (Caldas da Rainha, Portugal).

In recent years, Silva has gained increasing international recognition. In 2022, her works were presented at Villa Tamaris in La Seyne-sur-Mer as part of the France–Portugal cultural season. In 2023, she exhibited in South Korea and at the Palácio Cadaval in Évora, Portugal, followed in spring 2024 by her solo exhibition Caminho Tropical at MAC Niterói, Rio de Janeiro.

Alongside her studio practice, Silva has created major public art commissions, notably ceramic tile panels for the Alvalade metro station in Lisbon, the gardens of the Sakai Cultural Center in Japan, and the João de Deus school in the Azores. Her works are also held in numerous private collections across Europe and the United States. She has collaborated on special projects with international houses such as Hermès, Tiffany & Co., Ginori 1735, and Vista Alegre, reinforcing the dialogue between contemporary creation, tradition, and craftsmanship.

Travel plays a central role in Silva’s artistic process. Each journey enriches her practice with local histories, mythologies, and natural forms, which she reinterprets through her distinctive, vibrant language of clay. Rooted in tradition yet wholly contemporary, her works bridge cultures and celebrate the interplay between ornament, narrative, and materiality.

In spring 2026, Flammarion will publish her first monograph, which will offer a comprehensive overview of her career and practice.