José Rufino

José Augusto Costa de Almeida (João Pessoa, Paraíba, 1965) is a visual artist and professor whose career spans fine arts, poetry, and teaching. He began his artistic training in the late 1970s, attending courses at the Cultural Extension Coordination of the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB). In the 1980s, he pursued geology studies at the Federal University of Pernambuco (UFPE), which later influenced his interest in memory and materiality in his works.

During the 1980s, José Augusto published poetry in anthologies and local newspapers in Recife and João Pessoa. In 1990, he moved to São Paulo to complete postgraduate studies in paleontology at the University of São Paulo (USP). He returned to Recife in 1992 to teach paleontology at UFPE. Around this time, he became interested in visual poetry and mail art, participating in exhibitions in Brazil and abroad, including in Argentina, Mexico, Romania, and Portugal.

His work is notable for incorporating elements rich in memory and emotion, such as documents, letters, and family furniture. José Augusto works across multiple mediums, creating installations, drawings, objects, and also engaging with cinema, serving as art director for the short film Gravidade (2006).

The artist has participated in major exhibitions in Brazil, including the 25th São Paulo International Biennial. His contributions to the arts have been recognized with awards and grants, such as the Vitae Foundation’s Cultural Support Grant (2000) and the Funarte Literary Creation Grant (2010).

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