Exhibition "Ex Angelica in Anglicam" in gallery Catapulta, Porto, Portugal (4–15 April 2026)

"Ex Angelica in Anglicam" solo exhibition by Leidari Dey ran in Porto from April 4 to 15.

How it went:

• 2 weeks
• 36 acrylic paintings
• 300+ visitors
• a lot of smiles and kind words, too many to count but easy to remember

The title translates as "From angelic to English," and translation is really the heart of the show. If you look at the world through the eyes of traveling angels, can you be sure you're perceiving it the way they do? And how do you put into images something that lies beyond understanding, without losing the meaning along the way?

Leidari Dey answers this question not only with paintings but with words too. Each image comes with two texts. The first is a short story that, at first glance, seems to have nothing to do with the painting. It translates the image into the language of emotion, letting you feel something the eye can't catch. The second text is a literal, plain description. It lets people "see" the exhibition even when sight isn't an option for them.

The accessibility of art is the second theme that mattered to the artist. Perception is always limited in some way: we favor one channel over another, we don't know a certain language, or we're physically unable to see, hear, or feel what someone is trying to convey.

With this exhibition, Leidari tries to push against those limits:

• all texts were translated into English and Portuguese;
• both artistic and literal texts were recorded as audio for visitors with low vision;
• the venue itself is accessible to people with mobility difficulties;
• the paintings were hung at such height so they're easy to view standing up, sitting in a wheelchair, and by both adults and children;
• the room is set up so guests can sit or even lie down, rest, and enjoy the show without having to save their energy.

When more than one channel of perception is at work, art becomes richer for everyone, including people with no perceptual or physical limitations at all. This exhibition did everything it could to make that happen.

For two whole weeks, traveling angels became part of Porto's cityscape. Thank you to everyone who came. We'll be back soon with new projects.

Meanwhile, you can look at the exhibition catalogue in English and Portuguese with all images and texts from the exhibition and at other exhibition materials.

Video from the opening event: