Francisco Capelo

A self-made art collector and a Portuguese writer who has explored Oriental mysticism and esoterism, Francisco Capelo (1955, Lisbon) founded in 2001 the Museu da Marioneta (Museum of Puppetry) in the Convent of Bernardas, a rich collection of Asian and African masks and theater puppets, and one year later the Museu do Design e da Moda (Museum of Design and Fashion, MUDE).

As a broker, Francisco Capelo worked with several financial corporations (Banco Português do Atlântico, Totta, Banif) in the 1990s and 2000s, contributing to the wealth of a Portuguese tycoon, Joe Berardo, and getting involved in controversial affairs that led him to leave the country for several years.

A visual artist since his youngest years (he was selling his own paintings at age 11, according to himself), he took a crucial part in gathering important art collections in Portugal, such as the Museu Coleção Berardo, Casa da Ásia (opened in 2018), MUDE, Museu Nacional de Etnologia, Museu do Azulejo, and Museu Nacional de Arte Antiga.