Narrativa inaugurates the collective exhibition Masterclass Narrativa 2025/2026 on March 7th at 4:00 PM in Lisbon. With free admission, the exhibition reveals the projects developed during the 7th edition of the Masterclass, which annually introduces new names in Portuguese photography. The selected authors — Catarina Cesário Jesus, Cátia Valente, Denis Graeff, Fernando Pimenta, João Pedro Almeida, and Raquel Antunes — developed works exploring themes such as territory, grief, memory, isolation, devotion, and transformation.

Since its inception, the Narrativa Masterclass has been led by independent photographer and two-time World Press Photo winner Mário Cruz, and its participants have earned more than 20 national and international awards.

Emerging names in portuguese photography

Catarina Cesário Jesus. Cabra cega

Cabra cega observes the experience of drifting through an unstable and imprecise present. It stems from a state of prolonged doubt, where fragility, exhaustion, and uncertainty have become recurring conditions. It questions how one inhabits a world without clear directions, where movement persists without the promise of arrival. A gaze marked by suspension, repetition, and silent resistance.

Raquel Antunes. Matriz

Matriz presents an essay on the biological and symbolic complexity of women. By drawing parallels between the cycles of nature and the transformations of female life, the work uses the body's matrix as a canvas for a reflection on menopause, where red interventions define the territory between the body and the natural element.

João Pedro Almeida. Chão que não se pisa, não dá fruto

Chão que não se pisa, não dá fruto documents the Pinhal Interior of Beira Baixa as a territory marked by abandonment and the cycle of raw material extraction—harvested in winter and devastated in summer. It records the period of the year outside the news cycle, showing the relationship between people, places, and a nature in continuous desertification.

Denis Graeff. Fissura

Fissura sees Lisbon as a national synthesis of a society under tension. Amidst urban and social pressures, the project captures a moment of instability and a future horizon that challenges established values, inviting an analysis of our collective present.

Fernando Pimenta. Dez razões pelas quais estamos aqui

Dez razões pelas quais estamos aqui constitutes an intimate reflection on the death of the author’s father, which occurred when he was six years old — an abrupt event with a profound legacy. The work wanders through absence, memory, family, and grief, exploring how this loss shaped these perceptions.

Cátia Valente. Por cuidar

Por cuidar is a testimony of proximity, time, and bonds, where the extraordinary reveals itself in the repetition of daily life — a shared philosophy in which devotion manifests through the act of care. In Portugal, despite the Informal Caregiver Statute, challenges persist regarding visibility, support, and the recognition of the burnout associated with caregiving. The project traverses different contexts, revealing a common thread: continuous presence, silent adaptation, and the inherent exhaustion of the daily routine of caring.