João Parrinha (b. 1961) is a multidisciplinary artist and product developer from Ericeira, Portugal.
Starting from a creative family background and an artistic education, he has explored various dimensions of the visual arts, including drawing, painting, sculpture and set design.
João’s career is characterized by his surrealistic creativity and construction skills that lead people to imagine new realities.
Being a surfer as well as an artist João has a natural affinity towards the environment. This led him to join the Skeleton Sea project where, through beach clean ups and re-using items found on the beach, they set out to create and build sculptures that remind us of the negative impact humankind has on nature.
SOFTROCK is his latest project, together with his daughter Carolina who has a background in brand and project management. Here they have combined their best skills. Guided by their passion for experimenting new materials and creating unique objects, the SOFTROCK project explores product design in the creation of soft pieces that visually appear as different types of rocks.
Part of João’s portfolio are collaborations with some iconic Portuguese bands such as Moonspell, Zen and Ornatos Violeta. As an art director he has worked for several advertising agencies, including projects for the Hard Club venue in Oporto, the Gulbenkian Calouste Foundation, Time Out magazine and the Cevicheria restaurant in Lisbon.