“One of the constant concepts in my work is exploring what lies under the surface. There’s often layers, rips and cuts on the surface of my designs.”
Add Fuel is the artistic moniker of Portuguese contemporary artist Diogo Machado (b. 1980, Cascais, Portugal). His practice is rooted in the reinterpretation of Portuguese visual culture, particularly the centuries-old tradition of the azulejo, which he approaches through a distinctly contemporary graphic language.
Originally trained in graphic design, Machado developed an early visual universe influenced by illustration, skateboarding culture, punk rock, graffiti, video games and cartoons. In 2008, his fascination with the geometry, repetition and cultural significance of Portuguese ceramic tiles marked a decisive shift in his practice. Since then, he has developed an immediately recognizable language in which traditional ornamental patterns are fragmented, layered and reconstructed.
Working across ceramic, painting, stencil, printmaking, sculpture, installation and large-scale mural interventions, Add Fuel frequently employs repetition, symmetry, trompe-l'œil and visual disruption. Layers appear to peel away, crack or reveal other compositions underneath, transforming the surface into a space of discovery. This recurring interest in what lies beneath allows him to address notions of memory, heritage, identity and transformation while establishing a dialogue between historical craftsmanship and contemporary urban culture.
His work has been presented internationally in galleries, museums and public spaces, including the Petit Palais in Paris, the National Tile Museum in Lisbon, Saatchi Gallery and StolenSpace Gallery in London, Wynwood Walls in Miami, Subliminal Projects in Los Angeles, Galerie Itinerrance in Paris and Underdogs Gallery in Lisbon. His public interventions can be found across Europe, North America and beyond.
Across these different contexts and scales, Add Fuel continually reconsiders the relationship between tradition and contemporaneity, ornament and disruption, surface and depth, transforming a deeply rooted Portuguese visual heritage into an evolving contemporary language.