OSCAR CASARES was born in Braga, Portugal on the eighth of December of 1977. He graduated cum laude from the General Arts Course in Braga; his teacher and mentor was Maria de Lourdes Magalhães. In 1990 Oscar started his career and in 1993 was invited as the official portrait artist for the Belo Belo Gallery by director Maria Fernanda Paes Moreira. At this time, the painter Luís Pinto-Coelho also invited Oscar to join him in Madrid. Oscar has been recognized for his work as costume designer by painter Pepa Carrilho - Vice-President of the ATC, Madrid.
MAIN ACTIVITIES
Received European Second Place for Painting on "How To Face The Fear", European Itinerant Exhibition - 1996; Exhibition gallery of the Municipal Museum of Vouzela - 1997; European Painting Award “European Community” - Brussels - 1997; Project “Relive the Past” in the Museum of Saint Martin Monastery - Tibães, Portugal - 1998; Show to help the victims of the floods in Mozambique and projects of solidarity to support children at risk - 2000 until the present; AYIC - New York - 2000/2001; Project “In Memory of Women of the Royal House of Braganza”, invited by the European Heritage Days - 2001; Executed all the pictorial work - Frei Aleixo Church, Évora - 2001/2002; Oscar is honored with the invitation of the Portuguese Diocese to paint the last official portrait of Pope John Paul II. The portrait received the recognition and high regard from His Holiness in 2004; Panel “Salve Regina”, Main Altar in Sameiro´s Sanctuary Crypt, Braga 2005/2006 - recognition by Pope Benedict XVI - 2007; Executed all paintings for the International Centre of the Carmelites Order - Fatima - 2007/2008; Painted portrait of Nicole Kidman with the gratitude and admiration of the actress - 2008; "VIRTUES OF THE SOUL AS ECLIPSED BY THE DIVA MADONNA" - 2008/2009, "The Eucharist" Secular Benedictine Order - Brazil - 2009.
Besides painting and work as costume designer, Oscar also enjoys writing: Research based on symbols, history of art and artistic techniques; scripts giving life to characters who inhabit the imaginary and history - Ex: "The Fairies", 1999 our in 2001 “In Memory of Women of the Royal House of Braganza”; books that approach the art to children, such as "Diary of One Dream", 2005; fantasy stories which subsequently have been adapted to plays - "The Orn Prince/The Three Insignias", 2006; detailed reflexion defense of his paintings:"Slve Regina" and "VIRTUES OF THE SOUL AS ECLIPSED BY THE DIVA MADONNA" are some of the latest examples.
Oscar’s work is exhibition in over 300 private collections throughout the world - Australia, Angola, Belgium, Brazil, Spain, United States, France, Portugal and Switzerland. His website www.oscar-casares.com shows his most recent and recognized paintings, other genre and projects.
Oscar has led and developed the project "Diary of a Dream", which aims to sensitize the community to the problem of institutionalized children. He has organized exhibitions, conferences, plays and a trip to Africa (2007), in order to raise funds and draw attention to the objectives of this program and this social problem.
Oscar Casares Distinctions
His Holiness Pope John Paul II
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
HH. RR. Highness' Princes of Portugal and Dukes of Braganza
Monsignor Canon Eduardo Melo
European Community
European Heritage Days
Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherland
Actress Nicole Kidman
Pepa Carrillo -Associatio
Erna Kaluza - Paramount Studio in New York
