Mots — Diogo Ruas & Jagoda Cierniak — Porto, Portugal

“The inner dialogue between the work and ourselves is one of the more challenging parts of our process. Working in public spaces has a unique set of things to consider: site-specificity, neighbourhood, context and surroundings are important conceptual triggers. It can be difficult, but it is also a very exciting process. One of our biggest challenges to date was the mural Continuidade in Porto. Placed upon the iconic Porto skyline, an integral part of the work was the responsibility of its influence on the urban landscape.”

Mots is a Portuguese-Polish art duo comprising Diogo Ruas, who started painting graffiti in 2001, and Jagoda,who joined him in 2017. He is a painter and illustrator, she is a project manager and photographer. Two close collaborators working across a variety of visual arts, their main focus is murals and projects situated in a public context. The works of Mots are heavily dosed with abstract forms and realistic elements. They are currently taking part in the URBAN NATION Art Residency in Berlin.