Add Fuel (Diogo Machado, 1980, Cascais, Portugal) is a Portuguese visual artist and illustrator who has revolutionised the contemporary urban art scene. Renowned for his original reinterpretation of the aesthetics of azulejos, the traditional Portuguese tiles, Add Fuel skilfully blends historical and modern elements.
Add Fuel: biography
He graduated in Graphic Design from IADE – Creative University in Lisbon, and spent several years working in design studios in Portugal, followed by an eight-month stay in Munich, Germany. Since 2007, Add Fuel has focused exclusively on his artwork. Starting with the name Add Fuel to the Fire, he has created a dark but exuberant visual universe influenced by a variety of interests ranging from video games to comic books, science fiction to designer toys and urban visual culture. It was only later that the Portuguese street artist, fascinated by the aesthetic possibilities of geometric patterns and tessellations, shortened his name to Add Fuel and began redirecting his attention to working with azulejos, traditional Portuguese glazed ceramic tiles.
Add Fuel: artist between tradition and innovation
Add Fuel, artist of many talents, is the author of an innovative synthesis that fuses the contemporary aesthetics of Urban Art with the roots of Portuguese tradition. His work represents a visual dialogue between two seemingly distant worlds, that of abstract and decorative patterns inspired by azulejos and that of graffiti. The street artist elaborates complex but well balanced compositions, where symmetrical repetition is intertwined with visual tricks worthy of trompe-l’œil, challenging the viewer’s perception. His artistic research is not limited to reinterpreting Portuguese cultural heritage, but revitalises it, thus acting as a bridge between epochs and cultures and transforming the centuries-old art of decorative ceramics into a contemporary means of expression.
Add Fuel: exhibitions and major collaborations
Since 2006, Add Fuel has established its presence in the art world through major solo and group exhibitions. His participation in leading urban art events around the world has further consolidated his reputation. In recent years, Add Fuel has participated in festivals, projects and group and solo exhibitions from Europe to America and Asia. Among the most important: WE ARE, Petit Palais, Paris, France (2024), A P O P H E N I A, Castanier Gallery, Miami, USA (2023), URBAN (R)EVOLUTION, Cordoaria Nacional, Lisbon, Portugal (2023), BLINK, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA (2022), The Crystal Ship, Oostende, Belgium (2021), Alter Ego, Macau, China (2018), Revolutions Per Minute, Saatchi Gallery, London, UK (2017).