Grey Lisbon

Thomaz de Mello (1906-1990), better known as Tom, a shortened form inherited from his English great-grandfather, was born in Rio de Janeiro and lived for most of his life in Portugal. He arrived in Lisbon in 1926, with Leopoldo Fróis’ theatre company. He explored diverse visual mediums, from painting to drawing, as well as cartoons, caricature, tapestry, graphic design, interior design and ceramics, among others. He joined the Portuguese modernist movement.

He was one of the founders, in 1932, of the UP modern art gallery in Lisbon. He formed part of the group of artists of the National Secretariat for Propaganda (later called National Secretariat for Information, Popular Culture and Tourism) which contributed to the layout of Portuguese pavilions at various international exhibitions. He worked with the Portuguese Dance Company Verde Gaio devising stage sets and costumes, and in 1948 he joined the team of artists decorating the Museum of Popular Art, creating murals for various spaces.