Rúben Pinto, known as RUGA, is a Portuguese visual artist born in 1999 on the island of Madeira, currently living and working in Porto.

RUGA’s work spans painting and textile art, using rugs as a medium to challenge traditional boundaries between object, image, and space. His creative process is rooted in instinct and material exploration, where each piece grows organically, shaped by texture, imperfection, and gesture.

Rather than being confined to one style or discipline, RUGA sees art as an open field of experimentation — a space where memory, symbolism, and the rawness of handmade work coexist. His rugs and canvases are approached as singular objects, reflecting personal narratives, emotions, and fragments of everyday life transformed into physical form.

Primarily working with traditional techniques and natural materials, RUGA seeks to create pieces that exist between functionality and contemplation — where the surface becomes a story, and the tactile becomes intimate.

His visual language is shaped by the contrasts of his own journey — from the quiet landscapes of Madeira to the industrial pulse of Porto — blending craft and contemporary expression into works that invite presence, connection, and reflection.