Portuguese visual artists and couple Mariana Branco and Emanuel Barreira are the duo behind Halfstudio, a Portugal-based collective specializing in projects across various creative fields, with lettering and sign painting at their core.
Their visual language is defined by three-dimensional letters and dynamic layouts, featuring bold messages and vibrant colors. Their work is rooted in their surroundings and the issues they find significant, using art as a medium to reflect on the world and bring these topics into the conversation.
For Mariana and Emanuel, creating art is both a form of expression and a personal process of reflection. Public artworks are particularly important to them, enabling their ideas to reach broader audiences and spark dialogue on questions they find relevant to contemporary life.
Combining studio work and public art, their approach reflects contemporary themes while demonstrating a thoughtful engagement with surrounding communities. The duo has exhibited their work in galleries and participated in street art festivals both in Portugal and internationally.
Group Exhibitions
Ampersand Show — Collective exhibition curated by Known Gallery (ComplexCon – Las Vegas, USA), 2024
Let’s Eat! / Vamos para a Mesa! — collective exhibition curated by Underdogs Gallery (Coimbra, Portugal), 2024
ESMAGA — group show (Caldas da Rainha, Portugal), 2024
YOU’RE JUST MY TYPE — group show at Outré Gallery (Melbourne, Australia), 2024
COLLECTIVE FLAGS INSTALLATION — Festival Iminente (Lisbon, Portugal), 2023
ART ON SKATEBOARD — collective show, Festival Boreal (Canary Islands, Spain), 2023
GRAVE II – collective show (Caldas da Rainha, Portugal), 2023
OI ART GALLERY– collective show (Oporto, Portugal), 2022
SURF ART – collective show (Oeiras, Portugal), 2022
GRAVE – collective show (Caldas da Rainha, Portugal), 2022
EPHEMERAL ETHERNAL – NFT group show curated by Underdogs Gallery, 2021
COMMOTION – Installation for the European Council, curated by Vhils x Underdogs Gallery (Brussels, Belgium), 2021
RIGHT NOW – online group exhibition curated by Underdogs Gallery, 2020
Divine Immunity — Collective exhibition, Apaixonarte (Lisbon, Portugal), 2020
OXYGEN AUCTION — Collective exhibition, Apaixonarte (Lisbon, Portugal), 2020
Street Art Indoor – Collective solidarity Auction, Associação Salvador (Lisbon, Portugal), 2020
Prata da Casa – Collective exhibition (Lisbon, Portugal), 2019
CAIS x Mistaker Maker – Collective exhibition (Lisbon, Portugal), 2019
Winter is Coming — Collective show, Circus Network (Porto, Portugal), 2018
BANDO Collective show — Pitoresco Festival Street Art (Vila Real, Portugal), 2018
100 Dolla Bills Y’all— Circus Network (Porto, Portugal), 2018
Lucky Art, Semana Criativa de Lisboa — CCP (Lisboa, Portugal), 2018
Poster Mostra (Lisboa, Portugal), 2017
Merc’art (Lisboa, PortugalT), 2017
Creative Jam, Semana Criativa de Lisboa — CCP (Lisbon, Portugal), 2017
Merc’art (Lisboa, PT), 2016
Letters are what matters ’16 (Caldas da Rainha, Portugal), 2016
Kruella d’Enfer x Halfstudio at Village Underground Lisboa (Lisbon, Portugal), 2016
Experimenta Design (Lisbon, Portugal), 2015
Letters are what matters (Caldas da Rainha, Portugal), 2015
Backyard (Lisbon, Portugal), 2014
PVS Showcard Show (Massachusetts, USA), 2014
ICY Caps (San Jose, USA), 2013
Solo Exhibitions
OVER OLD LINES – Online exhibition with Ourtypes, 2024
A JOURNEY – Underdogs Gallery (Lisbon, Portugal), 2023
FLOATING VIBES – Crackids (Lisbon, Portugal), 2022
WE STILL HAVE A DREAM – Underdogs Gallery (Lisbon, Portugal), 2021
FEEDELITY – Apaixonarte (Lisbon, Portugal), 2018
GOT IT WRONG – Cosmo Galeria (Barcelona, Spain), 2015
Public Art & Street Art Festivals
Festival Infinito – collaborative mural with Add Fuel (Cascais, Portugal), 2024
Waterford Walls Festival – Mural (Waterford, Ireland), 2024
Expolayup – Installation (Toulouse, France), 2024
ART IN TOWN – Mural (Barreiro, Portugal), 2024
THE BEAUTY IN ALL – Mural at Boom Boom Villette (Paris, France), 2023
PFFF Festival – Mural (Stuttgart, Germany), 2023
Writers Block – Mural (Emmen, Netherlands), 2023
Muro Critico – Mural (Eljas, Spain), 2023
MOSCAVIDE – Temporary public art installation curated by Underdogs Gallery (Lisbon, Portugal), 2023
Waterford Walls – Mural (Waterford, Ireland), 2022
Pitoresco – Mural (Vila Real, Portugal), 2022
CHACHA – Basketball court at Centre Sportif Léo Lagrange (Paris, France), 2022
Porsche Art Park – Mural in Wynwood (Miami, USA), 2021
Festival Iminente by Vhils x Underdogs Gallery – Painted half pipe ramp (Lisbon, Portugal), 2021
Conversas na Rua – Mural (Amadora, Portugal), 2021
POW! WOW! Rotterdam – Mural (Rotterdam, Netherlands), 2021
Calle Libre Festival – Mural Vienna, Austria), 2021
SPORTING – Basketball court at Sporting Clube the Portugal Stadium (Lisbon, Portugal), 2021
Urban Walls – Immersive light installation in collaboration with Zane Prater and Jan Barcelo (Barcelona, Spain), 2021
Fabric Festival – Mural (Fall River, USA), 2021
Fabric Festival – Poster paste up installation (Fall River, USA), 2020
Oficina Iminente by Vhils x Underdogs Gallery – Community workshop and mural (Lisbon,Portugal), 2020
CHELAS CHICAGO – Basketball court (Lisbon, Portugal), 2020
LIVING FOR TODAY – Mural (Caldas da Rainha, Portugal), 2020
Konnections Festival – Mural (Praia de Mira, Portugal), 2019
Le MUR Oberkampf – Mural (Paris, France), 2019
Fazunchar – Mural (Figueiró dos Vinhos, Portugal), 2019
Move – Mural (Figueira da Foz, Portugal), 2019
BLUE SEA – Mural curated by Walk&talk (Lagoa — Azores Islands, Portugal), 2019
MAU - Mostra de Arte Urbana – Mural (Quinta do Anjo, Portugal), 2018
ASALTO Festival Internacional de Arte Urbano – Mural (Zaragoza, Spain), 2018
Tons de Primavera' Street Art Festival – Mural (Viseu, Portugal), 2018
CONQUISTA O SONHO – Mural for Federação Portuguesa de Futebol (Lisbon, Portugal), 2018
UNIDOS PELA MÚSICA – Mural for the Eurovision contest (Lisbon, Portugal), 2018
Festival Iminente by Vhils x Underdogs Gallery – Collective installation (Oeiras, Portugal), 2017
ESTAU Estarreja Arte Urbana – Mural (Estarreja, Portugal), 2017
Festival Iminente London by Vhils x Underdogs Gallery – Collective installation (London, UK), 2017
WOOL Festival – Mural Covilhã, Portugal), 2017
Festival Iminente by Vhils x Underdogs Gallery – Container mural (Oeiras, Portugal), 2016
Festival Rebuliço – Mural (Abrunheira, Portugal), 2016
Agitágueda – Mural (Águeda, Portugal), 2016