The Genesis of Minimalist Form Born in the vibrant atmosphere of Lisbon in 1966, Rui Chafes began his artistic odyssey with formal training at the Faculdade de Belas Artes Lisboa. However, it was a transformative period in Germany, studying at the Kunstakademie Düsseldorf between 1990 and 1992, that truly forged his creative soul. Under the profound mentorship of Gerhard Merz, Chafes embraced a vision rooted in geometric abstraction and the exploration of space and time. This encounter instilled in him a belief in the power of simplicity, where the reduction of form serves as a conduit for ex…