João Penalva (b.1949) is a Portuguese artist who was born in Lisbon. In the early 1970s, he became interested in dance, and studied ballet at the London Contemporary Dance School, where he worked with choreographers such as Jean Pomares and Pina Bausch. In 1976, he turned to art, enrolling at the Chelsea College of Art and Design in London. He initially devoted himself to paintings, influenced by Robert Rauschenberg (American, 1925–2008) and Jasper Johns (American, b.1930). He later extended his work to include installations, performances, and film. He uses a variety of media, such as images, text, voice, performances, and film, studying their mutual effect on each other and emphasizing the narrative possibilities of each individual element.

With all his works, Penalva encourages the viewer to visualize his or her own picture, and to find their own interpretation. The artist plays with fact and fiction, and tells fragmentary stories, which allows the observer’s perception and opinion to shape the experience.

Penalva has been featured in many international exhibitions, and he has represented Portugal at the Venice Biennale, the Biennale of São Paulo, and in DAAD (Berlin Artists-in-Residence).