Biography
Cristina Massena was born in Porto, in 1977 and is currently based in Lisbon, Portugal. Between 1996 and 2003 she graduated in Architecture from ESAP, with a thesis supervised by Arch.Eduardo Souto de Moura. In 2000 she studies in Switzerland at Accademia de Architettura de Mendrisio with Arch. Peter Zumthor.
For 13 years she worked as an architect in her independent studio, building several houses and designing interior architectural spaces. She also collaborated with small and large scale offices, such as Architecturestudio in Paris. It was during her stay in Paris, between 2013 and 2015 that the relationship with the Fine Arts intensified. Already in 2019, she concluded the Masters in Painting at the Fine Arts School in Lisbon.
Her work is mainly characterized by the interdisciplinarity between sculpture and architecture. These disciplines intersect and dialogue through drawings, sculptures and site-specific work.
She has been participating in solo and collective exhibitions in several galleries and museums in Portugal.
EXHIBITIONS
2025
RU_ Residency Unlimited, Brooklyn, New York
Visiting Scholar and Critical Guest at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New York
2024
Foundation-Escape, Solo show, Fernando Santos Gallery, Porto
Unfinished conversation, site-specific sculpture, Acausa (project space), Porto
Finalist of the Norberto Gomes Award _ Art and Technology _ Altice Foundation
2023
Group show, 30 anos depois…Fernando Santos Gallery, Porto
A compreensão do limite in Ciclo de O Desenho como Pensamento, CCA Águeda
2022
Menin Douro Estates “without beginning or end”
Group show, Fernando Santos Gallery, Porto
Festa, Fúria, Femina, FLAD collection , O Arquipélago – Contemporary Art Center, Azores
Arco, Fernando Santos Gallery, Lisboa
2021
Group show, Espaço 531, Porto
Entre o Equilíbrio e a ruptura, Project Room – Fernando Santos Gallery, Porto
Group show, Fernando Santos Gallery, Porto
Diálogos com Amadeo, Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso Museum, Amarante
Contemporâneos e Extemporâneos, Fernando Santos Gallery, Porto
2020
Container – Yoko Ono Evento da água, Serralves Museum, Porto
Contratempo I, Arco Lisboa 2020, Lisbon
Entreaberto, Fernando Santos Gallery – Project Room, Porto
2019
Para além do lugar, uma possível construção interior, Faculdade de Belas Artes de Lisboa
2016
Collective exhibition, S. Mamede Gallery, Lisbon
COLLECTIONS
FLAD – Luso American Development Foundation
Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso Museum
DST Group
OTHER PROJECTS
2024
CCDR-N Sculpture for Prize Personality of the Year João Rosas Nicolau de Almeida, Porto
2023
CCDR-N Sculpture for Prize Personality of the Year José Rentes de Carvalho, Porto
2022
Director of Terra Foundation – Cultural Collaborative Platform
CCDR-N Sculpture for Prize Personality of the Year Graça Morais, Porto
2021
CCDR-N Sculpture for Prize Personality of the Year Siza Vieira, Porto
2018
Expresso, Jerusalem Book Collection, Lisbon
OTHER ACTIVITIES
ARCHITECTURE
2013
Senior Architect, ArchitectureStudio, Paris
2011
Single-Family Schist House, Rio Meão
2010
Single-Family Wood House, Castelo de Paiva
2009
Single-Family House Cobre, Castelo de Paiva
2005/2018
Single-Family House, A. Oliveira, V. N. Gaia
Bank Headquarters Interior BC, Lisbon
Bank Headquarters Interior BC, Porto
Bank Headquarters Interior BC, Lisbon
Apartment Interior, R.M, Porto
Apartment Interior, E.Mota, V.N. Gaia
Apartment Interior, P. Castanheira, Porto
Apartment Interior, S. Castro, Porto
Auditorium, Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto, Porto
MUSIC
2008/2013
O que não se vê, Boom/ Universal Music
2005
Singing and Music Training at Jazz School of Porto
2005
Singing and Music Training at Jazz School of Porto
1985 /1994
Piano and Music Training Course
EDUCATION
2016/2019
Master in Painting, Faculdade de Belas Artes da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
2003
Licentiate Degree in Architecture, Escola Superior Artística do Porto, Portugal
2000
Erasmus at Accademia di Architettura Mendrisio, Arch. Peter Zumthor, Switzerland
1995
1st year Drawing Course, Escola Superior Artística do Porto, Portugal