Luís Mileu was born in 1972 in Estremoz, Portugal.
Son of Alentejanos, Luísa and Manuel, he is the father of two “alfacinhas”, Carmo and Manuel.
He graduated in Communication Design in Lisbon. His professional practice is divided between two distinct fields: Branding, a more commercial and strategic area, and Photography, where his work is rooted in personal, author-driven, and documentary-based projects.
(Despite the serious look in the photo, he doesn’t take himself, or life, too seriously.)
In the last 20 years, he has developed branding projects for national agencies such as Brandia Central, Ativism, and Ivity. He has designed some of the largest Portuguese brands, including the rebranding of Delta, the identity of The Navigator Company and the rebranding of Fidelidade Insurance Company.
In 2015, he founded Luis Mileu Studio, and among the many interdisciplinary projects developed, notable ones include the rebranding projects of Nova SBE, Portugalia and Kopke Group.
He is a frequent judge at major creativity festivals, and his work has been awarded nationally and internationally, including the Red Dot Award, CCP Awards, Meios e Publicidade Awards, and Briefing Awards.
Luis has been a member of the General Assembly of the Clube de Criatividade de Portugal since 2014.
Has a photographer and visual storyteller, Luis explores themes of memory, identity, and social history.
Among his major works is Futuros Presidentes, produced in northern Mozambique for the NGO Helpo with the official support of the Portuguese Republic’s Presidency. The project portrays children as potential future leaders, highlighting education and hope in contexts of inequality. Another significant project is Americans45, a road trip that captured portraits of Americans on the eve of the election of the 45th U.S. President, offering a ground-level view of a divided nation.
Mileu’s practice spans photography, documentary, and exhibition design. His work has been shown in cultural institutions and festivals in Portugal and abroad, reflecting his commitment to documentary practice as a way of connecting personal stories with collective memory.
Solo exhibitions:
Human Rights and Solidarity: A bridge of dignity, Seixal, 2025
A Certain Glance, Lisbon, 2025
Bi-ssente, OCCA, Lisbon, 2023
Juliana, Terreiro do Paço, Lisbon, 2020
Indirecta, Fineprint, Lisbon, 2019
Futuros Presidentes, Nova SBE, Carcavelos, Lisbon, 2019
Futuros Presidentes, Camões, Centro Cultural Português, Beira, 2019
Futuros Presidentes, Mercado Santa Clara, Lisbon, 2019
Futuros Presidentes, Camões, Centro Cultural Português, Maputo, 2019
Futuros Presidentes, Ribeira das Naus, Lisbon, 2018
Futuros Presidentes, Assembleia da República, Lisbon, 2018
Americans45, Auditório Augusto Cabrita, Barreiro, 2018
Oh Lisboa, your light, my shadow, Mona Loja de Ideias, Lisbon, 2017
Oh Lisboa, your light, my shadow, Kunstraum Botschaft, Berlin, 2017
Boa Vista – Palácio Quintela, Lisbon, 2014
Project 2 Faces – Galeria Municipal de Arte, Barreiro, 2012
Project 2 Faces – Cinema S Jorge, Lisbon, 2011
Shadow Dancers, Loja das Maquetes, Lisbon, 2010
Collective exhibitions:
Lisbon, 2020 Poster Mostra, Marvila, Lisbon, 2020
Fineprint 20 years, 20 photographers, A Homem Mau, Lisbon 2019
Layer House – The House of Art, Kranj, Slovenia, 2019
Lumi, Galeria Liminare, LisbonWeek, Lisbon, 2017
Down the Rabbit Hole, Photoville, Brooklyn, NY, 2015
Books:
Juliana, Grupo Jerónimo Martins Edition
Futuros Presidentes, Helpo Edition
One City, One Name, Tokyo, No Frame Publishing
Praça das Águas Livres, 8, 9º C,
1250-001 Lisbon, Portugal
Prints and commissions are available upon request.