Renowned photographer Maria José Palla passes away at the age of 81.
Maria José Palla: A Life Dedicated to Art and Academia
Maria José Palla, a renowned figure in the world of art and academia, passed away at the age of 81. Born in Lisbon on July 30, 1943, to the plastic artist Zulcides Saraiva and the photographer, architect, and designer Victor Palla, Palla's life was deeply intertwined with the creative realm.
Palla's academic background is rooted in Art History, having earned a diploma from the École du Louvre in Paris. This foundation served as a springboard for her scholarly pursuits, which led her to author multiple books and articles on Gil Vicente, a prominent figure in 16th-century Portuguese literature and theater, as well as works on 16th-century Portuguese painting.
In addition to her literary research, Palla dedicated considerable effort to photography. The last 40 years of her life were dedicated to this medium, although specific details on her photography style or exhibitions were not readily available. What is known is that her images in her exhibitions reflect a universe on the face of the architect, often comical, fantastical, and transformative.
Palla's self-portraits, which she began photographing "compulsively" from the 1980s, are a testament to her introspective nature. Among her many exhibitions are 'Fragments of a Discourse' (2013), 'Le Temps' (2010), 'The Wheel of Time' (2006), 'Anatomy of a Face', 'Faces of Melancholy', and 'The Woman Without a Shadow' (2001), 'Portraits of Poets' (1998), and 'Maria José Palla: the self-portrait as still life - a retrospective', which was held at the Museu Nacional Frei Manuel do Céu in Évora.
Palla's exhibitions were not limited to Portugal. She held various exhibitions in Portugal and abroad, such as 'Arquivo' and 'Maria José Palla: o auto-retrato como natureza-morta - uma retrospetiva'. One of her most recent exhibitions, 'Víctor Palla - Maria José Palla', was presented at the Centro de Arte de São João da Madeira in 2022, and was dedicated to her father, Victor Palla.
Palla's work extended beyond the realm of art and academia. She was a specialist in Languages and Literatures, History and Arts, and translated works such as 'Hiroshima, My Love' by Marguerite Duras, 'The Life of Michelangelo' by Romain Rolland, and 'Camus by Himself' by Morvan Lebesque. She also translated 'The Infanta Maria's Cookbook' for the Institute of Medieval Studies.
Palla was also a teacher at the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences of Nova University of Lisbon, teaching various subjects including History of Theater, Portuguese Literature, French Literature, Renaissance Literature, and Literature and Other Arts - Photography.
Palla's exhibitions often featured a unique blend of photographs and objects. In her show in Évora last year, she combined photographs and objects to create a captivating and thought-provoking display.
Throughout her life, Maria José Palla made significant contributions to the worlds of art, academia, and literature. Her legacy will continue to inspire and influence future generations of artists, scholars, and enthusiasts.
- Despite her extensive career in art and academia, Maria José Palla also dabbled in fashion-and-beauty, translating works such as 'The Infanta Maria's Cookbook' for the Institute of Medieval Studies.
- Beyond the realm of academia, Maria José Palla's lifestyle encompassed education-and-self-development; she taught various subjects at the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences of Nova University of Lisbon.
