Add Fuel is Portuguese visual artist and illustrator Diogo Machado (born 1980). With a degree in Graphic Design from Lisbon's IADE – Institute of Visual Arts, Design and Marketing, he spent a few years working in design studios in Portugal, followed by an eight-month stint in Munich, Germany. Since 2007, he has been focusing exclusively on his artistic work. Starting out under the full name Add Fuel to the Fire, he first created a dark yet exuberant visual universe populated by a cast of slimy, eccentric and joyful creatures, influenced by a variety of interests ranging from video games to comics, animation, sci-fi, low-budget B films, designer toys, and urban visual culture. In 2008, fascinated with the aesthetic possibilities of symmetrical patterning and tessellations, he shortened his moniker and began redirecting his focus towards working with and reinterpreting the language of traditional tile design, and that of the Portuguese tin-glazed ceramic ''azulejo'' in particular. Effortlessly blending these two seemingly-irreconcilable visual idioms, his current practice seeks to combine traditional decorative elements with contemporary visual referents into new forms that reveal an impressive complexity and a masterful attention to detail. If, on the face of it, his work in small- and medium-sized tile panels, large-scale stencil-painted murals, and print editions might seem simply a pastiche of classic formalism, a closer inspection rewards the viewer with a chaotic world of unequivocally original motifs and characters brimming with irony and humour. Creating balance and harmony from symmetrical repetitions, a build-up of layers and techniques of visual illusion such as ''

trompe-l'œil ''Trompe-l'œil'' ( , ; ) is an artistic term for the highly realistic optical illusion of three-dimensional space and objects on a two-dimensional surface. ''Trompe l'oeil'', which is most often associated with painting, tricks the viewer into ...

'', his multi-layered patterned compositions produce a poetic rhythm that plays with the viewer's perception and the (multiple) possibilities of interpretation. Exploring a wide range of both manual and digital techniques in the fields of drawing, painting, ceramics, and printing, his practice expresses a sophisticated dialogue between the old and the new, between heritage and modernity. Besides the numerous public art interventions he has been creating in various countries, he has also been showcasing his work in solo and group exhibitions in reputed galleries, including Underdogs Gallery (Lisbon, 2017 and 2014), Saatchi Gallery (London, 2017), Nuart Gallery (Stavanger, 2017), ABV Gallery (Atlanta, 2017), Colab Gallery (Weil am Rhein, 2015), Galerie SOON (Zurich, 2013), and Pure Evil Gallery (London, 2012), and leading urban art events such as Nuart Festival (Aberdeen, 2017; Stavanger, 2016), PUBLIC’16 (Perth and Albany, 2016), Sacramento Mural Fest (Sacramento, 2016), Forgotten Project (Rome, 2015),

Djerbahood Djerbahood was a street art event in which artists from all over the world gathered in the village of Erriadh on the Tunisian island Djerba to create 250 mural paintings. The project was established by the ''Itinerrance de Paris'' gallery in Ju ...

(Djerba, 2014), and Tour Paris 13 (Paris, 2013), among many others. Diogo Machado lives and works in Cascais,

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of ...

Artistic style

Diogo Machado's artwork combines fictional characters, decorative elements, and humor. His mural work using tiles and stencils is inspired by ''

'', and often emphasizes symmetry.

Career

Illustration

Add Fuel has cited an older cousin who introduced him to a wide range of popular and classical artforms as a childhood influence.

Street Art, Ceramic panels and Murals

Add Fuel has used

azulejo ''Azulejo'' (, ; from the Arabic ''al- zillīj'', ) is a form of Spanish and Portuguese painted tin-glazed ceramic tilework. ''Azulejos'' are found on the interior and exterior of churches, palaces, ordinary houses, schools, and nowadays, r ...

mosaic tiles as a medium for graffiti and other works, and has also described is as a cultural influence. Machado traces his initial interest in reviving azulejo to the Cascais ArtSpace festival in Cascais in 2008. "At the time, I received the invitation to cover an entire building with a giant printed canvas and my idea was to develop an illustration piece that would represent me as an inhabitant of my city, being the festival in Cascais." he says. "I investigated several portuguese traditional techniques and elements, such as the

Galo de Barcelos The Rooster of Barcelos ( pt, Galo de Barcelos) is a common symbol of Portugal. Folk tale The folk tale of the rooster of Barcelos, tells the story of a dead rooster's miraculous intervention in proving the innocence of a man who had been false ...

and the

Arraiolos Arraiolos () is a municipality in Évora District in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 7,363, in an area of 683.75 km2. The town of Arraiolos has 3,351 inhabitants. The present Mayor is Silvia Pinto, elected by the Unitary Democratic Coalit ...

tapestries Tapestry is a form of textile art, traditionally woven by hand on a loom. Tapestry is weft-faced weaving, in which all the warp threads are hidden in the completed work, unlike most woven textiles, where both the warp and the weft threads may ...

, but it was a building, so the

aesthetic was the one it felt right to work on" After this first experience, Machado studied azulejo and ceramics and began applying it to other urban art settings, often in incongruous and non-traditional contexts. Noteworthy pieces include a 30 meters long ceramic

mural A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage. Word mural in art The word ''mural'' is a Spani ...

, made for the Walk & Talk Public Art Festival on Ponta Delgada in the Azores islands. Add Fuel has also used stencil techniques, partly as a response to the cost and logistical challenges of tile murals. Explaining why he chose the name Add Fuel, Machado has said "it's an abbreviation of the expression 'add fuel to the fire' which I like and used as my name for some time. The fact that it's in English is just because it's easier to work in an international market. Diogo Machado is hard to pronounce and to work just in the Portuguese market, unfortunately is not possible."

Exhibitions

*2014. Concentricum (Mercearia de Arte Alves & Silvestre,

Coimbra Coimbra (, also , , or ) is a city and a municipality in Portugal. The population of the municipality at the 2011 census was 143,397, in an area of . The fourth-largest urban area in Portugal after Lisbon, Porto, and Braga, it is the largest cit ...

) *2013. International Colors (SOON Gallery, Bern, Switzerland) *2013. Tour Paris 13 (

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...

) *2012. Urb4n Art LX (Influx Contemporary Art Gallery, Lisbon,

) *2012. Cascais ArtSpace ( Cascais,

) *2012. Spaces Within (Pure Evil Gallery,

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

) *2011. 'Planet Fire' app release (Montana Shop & Gallery, Lisbon,

) *2009. 'Le Coq Tuguese (Experimenta Design, Lisbon,

) *2008. Cascais ArtSpace ( Cascais,

) *2007. Red Bull Street Gallery ( Lisbon,

)

Others

*2014.

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

*2014. Fenêtre Sur le Portugal (

) *2013. Le M.U.R. (

Mulhouse Mulhouse (; Alsatian: or , ; ; meaning '' mill house'') is a city of the Haut-Rhin department, in the Grand Est region, eastern France, close to the Swiss and German borders. It is the largest city in Haut-Rhin and second largest in Alsace a ...

) *2013. ArturB Residency ( Lagos, Portugal) *2013. Fusing Cultural Experience (

Figueira da Foz Figueira da Foz (), also known as Figueira for short, is a city and a municipality in the Coimbra District, in Portugal. Practically at the midpoint of the Iberian Peninsula's Atlantic coast, it is located at the mouth of the Mondego River, west ...

) *2013. WOOL on Tour - Tem Sempre Encanto (

) *2013. Muro Azul - CHPL ( Lisbon,

) *2012. WOOL on Tour - Lx Factory (

Alcântara (Lisbon) Alcântara () is a '' freguesia'' (civil parish) and district of Lisbon, the capital of Portugal. Located in western Lisbon, Alcântara is to the east of Ajuda and Belém and west of Estrela and Campo de Ourique. Alcântara had a population in 201 ...

) *2012. Walk & Talk Public Art Festival (

Ponta Delgada Ponta Delgada (; ) is the largest municipality ('' concelho'') and economic capital of the Autonomous Region of the Azores in Portugal. It is located on São Miguel Island, the largest and most populous in the archipelago. As of 2021, it has 67, ...

Azores ) , motto =( en, "Rather die free than subjected in peace") , anthem= ( en, "Anthem of the Azores") , image_map=Locator_map_of_Azores_in_EU.svg , map_alt=Location of the Azores within the European Union , map_caption=Location of the Azores wi ...

) *2012. GAU - Lowbrow ( Lisbon,

) *2010. Secret Wars - Lisbon Team (

Lisboa Lisbon (; pt, Lisboa ) is the capital and largest city of Portugal, with an estimated population of 544,851 within its administrative limits in an area of 100.05 km2. Lisbon's urban area extends beyond the city's administrative limits w ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...

) *2009. MTV From Grey to Rainbow (

Barreiro (city) Barreiro () is a city and a municipality in Setúbal District in Portugal. The population in 2011 was 78,764, in an area of 36.39 km2. Barreiro has a view of the city of Lisbon from Avenida da Praia and a riverside area called Alburrica. Th ...

) *2008. Fuel TV - Portugal Launch - Lx Factory (

)

Commissioned projects

A Better Tomorrow,

Alfa Romeo Alfa Romeo Automobiles S.p.A. () is an Italian luxury car manufacturer and a subsidiary of Stellantis. The company was founded on 24 June 1910, in Milan, Italy. "Alfa" is an acronym of its founding name, "Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili." "A ...

, Avalon7, Beatbombers,

Burton Snowboards Burton Snowboards is a privately-owned snowboard manufacturing company that was founded by Jake Burton Carpenter in 1977. The company specializes in products aimed at snowboarders, such as snowboards, bindings, boots, outerwear, and accessorie ...

, Cropp, Colourlovers, Computer Arts, Dj Ride, Don't Panic, Digit, Europa Magazine, Feed The Beast

FUEL TV Fox Sports 2 (FS2) is an American sports-oriented pay television channel owned by the Fox Sports Media Group, a unit of Fox Corporation. The channel is based at the Fox Sports division's headquarters on the Fox Studio Lot in the Century C ...

, GAU Lisbon, MTV, MySpace,

Nike, Inc. Nike, Inc. ( or ) is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services. The company is headquartered ne ...

Popular Mechanics ''Popular Mechanics'' (sometimes PM or PopMech) is a magazine of popular science and technology, featuring automotive, home, outdoor, electronics, science, do-it-yourself, and technology topics. Military topics, aviation and transportation o ...

, Pyknic Clothing, Pocket Frenz, Red Bull, Toy2R, TMN (

Meo (mobile phone company) MEO is a mobile and fixed telecommunications service and brand from Altice Portugal (formerly Portugal Telecom), managed by MEO - Serviços de Comunicações e Multimédia. The service was piloted in Lisbon in 2006 and was later extended to Port ...

Wired (magazine) ''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fr ...

, X-Funs, Yes No Maybe.

Media

File:Add Fuel - Coimbra 2013.webm, Coimbra 2013 File:Add Fuel - Walk&Talk Azores 2012.webm, Walk&Talk Azores 2012

Press

Jornal O Público (2014): "Azulejo tradicional de Add Fuel em Coimbra"Jornal i Online (2014): "Devolver os azulejos ás paredes"Neo Pop Tv (2013): "NEW POP CULTURE: Diogo Machado Ep.2"Neo Pop Tv (2013): "NEW POP CULTURE: Diogo Machado Ep.1"IdN (International designers' Network) (2013): "Creative Country: Portugal"
* ttp://www.luxwoman.pt/portfolio/mental-idade-de-diogo-e-eime/ Lux WOMAN (2013): "Mental Idade de Diogo Machado e Eime"br>Choco la Design (2013): "Os azulejos de Add Fuel"Jornal O Público (2013): "Artistas portugueses “ocupam” prédio abandonado em Paris"Jornal O Público (2012): "Walk&Talk, um abecedário de arte pública"Le blog de la galerie d'art Limitedartgallery.com (2012): "Arty Friday #4 – Diogo Machado aka ADD FUEL TO THE FIRE"Jornal O Público (2012): "O azulejo tradicional reinventado por artistas contemporâneos"Science of the Time (2011): "Portuguese Mosaic Tiles Meet Urban Graffiti"Arize Magazine (2008): "Diogo Machado–Well known illustrator Diogo…Adds Fuel to the Fire"Falar Criativo podcast (2015) :Interview of Add Fuel

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Add Fuel Living people 1980 births Portuguese artists Portuguese graffiti artists Street artists People from Cascais Date of birth missing (living people) Articles containing video clips