Paulo Monteiro

Poppy, 2023. I was born in a rural environment. My parents and grandparents always cultivated their garden. They grew a bit of everything: cabbages, potatoes, garlic, onions… But the aesthetic aspect was never forgotten: flowers of all shapes and colours were also grown. In spring and summer, the garden looked…

In Portugal there are some places where Shrovetide is celebrated in a peculiar way: participants throw flour at each other. Most of the participants in these rituals are young people, but elderly people also take part, in a healthy and happy coexistence between generations. They gather in the streets of…

As a resident of a small island, I am very concerned about the consequences of rising sea levels, as islands are particularly vulnerable.

These photographs document the Saint Stephen festivity, which takes place in the Portuguese village of Grijó de Parada.

Lazarim Portugal Lazarim is a town in the municipality of Lamego, which is located 12 kilometers from the city of Lamego. It has around 500 inhabitants, but during Shrovetide the floating population far exceeds this number. Considered one of the most traditional carnivals in Portugal, its origins are lost in…

This is an ancient ritual of Celtic origin. It was originally called "Samhain" and was the most important Celtic celebration in the whole of Europe until their conversion to Christianity.

Every year the inhabitants perform the "encamisada". This is a parade that runs through the streets of the village to the sound of bagpipe music.

I photographed these fishes in a public aquarium, where they are admired by visitors. The fishes are captive, but they appear dignified. I say they appear because, unlike other animals, the fishes do not change their facial expression. But do they know that they are captive? I don’t know if…

Flowers transport us to a world of pure beauty, where there is no place for hatreds, wars, social inequalities, environmental pollution. Flowers are the Paradise on Earth.

This portfolio documents rituals with masks that take place in the Trás-os-Montes region, Portugal.

This series documents the Saint Stephen feast in Ousilhão, Municipality of Vinhais, Portugal. These rituals are of pagan origins, Roman and Celtic. These figures run through the village, enlivening the party with tricks and mischief, spreading chaos between the population and the visitors.

These images reveal us rituals threatened both by globalization and by the folklore that the tourist flows feed, and perpetuate an endangered world.

“Carnival Warriors” is the title of a long-term project that aims to document the Carnival rituals that take place in the archipelago of the Azores.