Tiago Pestana

Anyone who follows the portuguese scene is sure to have come across a photo taken by Tiago Pestana, and the odds are pretty high that he has photographed your idol. He's young, but his name has been gaining more and more prominence. In May he'll be presenting his first exhibition, called “ABSENCE”, and we wanted to get to know him a little more. Enjoy!

First of all, can you introduce yourself?

Tiago Pestana, born and raised in Lisbon.

Who’s Tiago?

It's difficult to express and describe, I feel like I'm constantly changing. I would say that the common thread of everything I've done focuses on creation and differentiation, translating into the mediums available or what I want to develop - creation above all.

What are your hobbies in your spare time?

It depends on the mood and the moment. I'm exploring painting more and more, without any big commitments. On a daily basis, I need to be active, whether it's running, kickboxing... - I'm inclined to try indoor climbing soon.

Mind and body have to be stimulated.

As we can see on your socials, you're always on the move. Are you in Portugal at the moment?

Yes, I'm in Lisbon at the moment. I'll be here until my 'ABSENCE' exhibition in May, lining up preparations.

You studied marketing and fashion design. Did you later discover another passion? How and when did your passion for photography emerge?

I think my passion for photography came long before I even knew it would be something meaningful. To give you some context, I started doing graffiti when I was 14 and every piece on a wall, train, subway, etc. has to be recorded, so I became interested in the best image, knowing the basics of photography - but it was never the focus, what I wanted to do was paint.

From then on it was a gradual path. First mkt, then fashion, with photography always following and eventually becoming central to my core.

Do you have any “type”that you prefer to photograph?

I only want to photograph what I think is interesting and challenging. That said, I can focus on various aspects - but the editorial component prevails.

When we see your photos, we immediately realize that you took them yourself. How would you describe this distinctive element in your art?

It's something I've never pursued, but it's nice to hear that in such a short journey people can recognize my vision. However, it's hard to describe something that comes naturally to me and is the result of a lot of information processing and cross-referencing. Besides, I'm always learning.

Note: don't look for the obvious.

That session with Pharell is iconic and will be a milestone for our culture in the future. Can you tell us how it all came about?

JUNYA WATANABE SS24

It was a small venue, with not many people in attendance. Pharrel was one of the guests, among others, and I simply spoke to him on the spot, asked to make some images and the result turned out to be interesting. Curiously, I received the invitation the day before the show.

Do you dream of photographing a specific personality?

No one in particular at the moment. Maybe next time I'll have an answer.

One of your last projects was with Pedro Mafama. What was it like photographing in Algeria?

It was a unique adventure and experience that none of us will soon forget. Algeria surprised me on many levels. It's a well of culture and history.

Since you studied fashion design, is it unreasonable to imagine Tiago launching his own brand?

When I was younger I ventured out and it was an experience that shaped the way I think. For now, it's a very distant reality but venturing into fashion, into a dynamic beyond photography perhaps.

In May you'll be presenting your first exhibition. Can you give us some details?

The 'ABSENCE' exhibition is the result of a path and concept developed since 2023. I miss materializing my creations. I will continue to unveil more and more of this universe, but you can expect to see what defines me as an artist materialized - with a few surprises.

'ABSENCE' architected by Tiago Pestana | Lisbon, May 2025

What will Tiago's next steps be?

To make a name for myself artistically speaking. Next step is international expansion - sharing life between Paris and Lisbon.

SHOUTOUT ONE HOUSE ONLY, VALLE, GONÇALO AFONSO AND KILLA WAS HERE.