Bela Silva was born in Lisbon, Portugal.
Bela Silva is a global artist, and her personal and artistic journey reflects just that. Her nomadic nature led her to move in the 1990s, from Lisbon - where she simultaneously studied at the National School of Fine Arts, a more academic institution, and at Ar.co, a more experimental one, to the United Kingdom where she studied at the University of Norwich. Bela Silva's curious and energetic personality is conducive to encounters and the discovery of new places. This is how, a few years later, the artist ventured to the United States. Initially, she settled in Chicago, where she studied at the prestigious Art Institute, and later in New York, where she lived and worked as an illustrator for the New York Times. Her American experience was crucial to her artistic development and early career.
Bela Silva's work is represented in various international collections, both private and institutional, including the art collection of Villa Tamaris in La Seyne-sur-Mer, France (where she exhibited in 2022), with the institution acquiring an important piece for its collection. Notable exhibitions include those at Ann Nathan Gallery and Rhona Hoffman Gallery, both in Chicago. In Lisbon, her work has been displayed at the Museum of Azulejo, the Anastácio Gonçalves Museum, the Ajuda Palace, and the Ricardo Espírito Santo Foundation. Significant exhibitions have also taken place in China, Japan, South Korea, and France. Bela Silva has participated in various group exhibitions in Portugal, Brazil, Spain, France, and South Korea. She has conducted ceramics workshops in Japan and Morocco and has attended artistic residencies in Kohler, Wisconsin, USA, as well as at the Bordalo Pinheiro Factory in Caldas da Rainha and the Viúva Lamego Factory in Sintra, among others.
The artist has created several public artworks, including the Azulejo panels for the Alvalade metro station in Lisbon, panels for the gardens of the Sakai Cultural Center in Japan, and for the João de Deus School in the Azores. Bela Silva has also produced ceramic panels for various private collectors and collaborated on projects with recognized national and international interior designers.
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