3Q to the Artist

Three questions to Gustavo Sanches de Castro

16 Oct 2026

About Gustavo

Gustavo Sanches de Castro (b. 1986, Espinho) found in abstract expressionism a way to explore painting through touch, movement, and instinct. Since 2018, his practice has centred on the physical act of painting, balancing chaos and tranquillity through gestures that often reach beyond the canvas into three-dimensional space.

His work has been exhibited internationally, including at Brazil’s Casa Portinari Museum and Pinacoteca Fórum das Artes, the Alentejo International Biennial, and Portugal’s Lamas Museum and CAE Figueira da Foz.

Discover his artworks

In 2018, you set aside traditional tools and began painting only with your hands. What happened? Was there a moment when you realised you couldn’t work any other way?

Until 2018, nothing I created made sense to me. I didn’t like what I was doing. Before 2018, I worked in an architecture firm as a draftsperson, but I was always connected to the arts. Graffiti, music, photography, among other fields I experimented with – yet none of it truly fulfilled me.

In 2018, my maternal grandmother had to undergo emergency surgery. The fear of losing her and the anxiety while waiting for news drove me to paint with my hands: instead of punching the wall, I “punched” the canvas.

I feel that painting with my hands is painting with my soul—no barriers, no limitations. Whatever comes from within me, from my heart and mind, comes out with power and intention. The direct contact with the canvas and the paint makes me feel even more a part of the artwork. It’s not just art; it’s a part of me.

Gustavo's (on the right), "Inhabiting the Border" artwork (on the left)

Architecture and engineering inspire you, yet most of your paintings are so free and abstract. How do the two come together for you?

As I mentioned, before I decided to change everything and become a visual artist, I was a draftsperson. Ever since I was young, I’ve been connected to construction and architecture. Out of necessity when I was younger, I worked on construction sites, and after finishing my studies, I worked as a draftsperson.

That background, combined with my ability to visualize things mentally in 3D and 4D (if I can put it that way!), my love for architecture, and my drive to always create something different, leads me to explore other materials and dimensions.

When I was a child, I once said: “When I grow up, I want to make things. What, I don’t know, but I want to see things grow and make things that people will use.” Unconsciously, to some extent, that became a reality.

Abstract art can make people feel they’re supposed to “get it.” What would you tell someone standing in front of your work who doesn’t know where to begin?

I would tell them the exact opposite: I don’t want them to understand it or even like it. I don’t want them to look for a logical explanation or force themselves to like it. I want them to feel when they look at a piece of mine. I want to ignite people’s creativity.

“Tell me what you see, tell me what you feel!” – that’s what I ask anyone visiting one of my exhibitions.

Extra: What’s the first thing you do when you get home after a long day in the studio?

On a normal day, I spend some time with my cat and then hang out with friends to unwind.

But if it was a heavy day in the studio. And it often is, since I constantly travel through deep memories and emotions. I take off my sneakers, light a cigarette, grab my cat (Sir Ink), and stay in absolute silence.