About

Mafalda Tenente is a qualified independent Supervisory Board Member and Strategy Advisor serving some of the most well-loved companies in their sectors as well as start-ups. Sectors covered include premium consumer goods, healthcare, hospitality, and arts on topics related to user centric innovation management, digital strategy, and strategic brand marketing. She currently serves on the board of Casino Interlaken AG and the Swiss INSEAD Alumni Association.

For the INSEAD alumni association she has founded the INSEAD Women in Business initiative including its national mentoring program. She has previously served as Global Marketing Director for divisions of Novartis and Eli Lilly, and Advisor to startups and leading premium consumer goods companies. She has a degree in Economics from University of Porto and a MBA and executive certificate in Corporate Governance from INSEAD.

When she is not helping boards and global companies drive their innovation and strategic agendas to craft more beautiful experiences for their users, she paints the world in Japanese ink (sumi) and creates her own objects of beauty in the form of books. She is a member of the International Sumi-e Friendship Association, chaired by well-known master Kobayashi Tohun. She has taken Art History and Arts Writing courses at Sociedade Nacional de Belas Artes in Lisbon and Sotheby’s Institute of Arts, respectively. Since 2017 she exhibits in Switzerland and abroad. In 2020 she won the Judge’s Special Award at the international ink painting exhibition in Tokyo, Japan. Her third art book, “Autumn in Japan” was shortlisted for the Volumes Awards 2022 and a participant in “The Most Beautiful Swiss Books 2022” book design competitions.

Mafalda was born in Porto, and is also a Swiss citizen. She has lived in five countries, speaks 5 languages fluently (English, French, German, Spanish and Portuguese), and is working her way through intermediate level Japanese. She still loves and practices classical ballet regularly, and another edition in development is a reflection of that other artistic passion.

You can reach her here and receive updates on her art by subscribing to “The Art Journey” letter.

Exhibitions and Events:

Upcoming

2024 June 12-15, I Never Read Art Book Fair, Basel, Switzerland

Ongoing

2024 May 03 – June 21, Bilder aus tiefstem Herzen, Japan Information and Cultural Centre, Bern, Switzerland

Past

2024 January 25 – February 5, International Ink Painting Exhibition, National Art Center, Tokyo, Japan (International Honor Art Award)

2023-24, “The Most Beautiful Swiss Books 2022”, Touring Exhibition, Switzerland

2023 November 25 at 2pm, Artist Talk and Exhibition Finissage, Hōmu, Basel, Switzerland

2023 October 28 – November 25 Solo Exhibition at Hōmu, Japanisch Wohnen, Basel, Switzerland

2023 November 18-19, Volumes Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

2023, AIMPE, The Hall Awa Japanese Handmade Paper, Tokushima, Japan (Honourable Mention for “Winter Sunset at Kenrokuen”)

2023 June 23-25, The Most Beautiful Swiss Books 2022, Helmhaus Zurich, Switzerland (feat. “Autumn in Japan”)

2023 June 14-17, I Never Read Art Book Fair, Basel, Switzerland

2023, International Art Exhibition, National Art Center, Tokyo, Japan

2022, Volumes Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland

2022, Die Poesie der Tusche, Japan Information and Cultural Centre, Bern, Switzerland

2022, International Art Exhibition, National Art Center, Tokyo, Japan (International Honor Art Award)

2021, Solo Exhibition and “The Tea House Diary” Book vernissage, Altstadthaus, Zurich, Switzerland

2021, AIMPE, The Hall Awa Japanese Handmade Paper, Tokushima, Japan

2021, Volumes Zurich Summer Edition, Zurich, Switzerland

2021, Art Beyond Boundaries International Art Exhibition, National Art Center, Tokyo, Japan (International Honor Art Award)

2020, Art for All International Art Exhibition, National Art Center, Tokyo, Japan (Judge’s Special Award)

2019, Sakura Japan Festival, Ink Painting Exhibition by Atelier Margot, Zurich, Switzerland

2019, Torch of Asia International Creation Exhibition, National Art Center, Tokyo, Japan (Special Award)

2017, International Sumi-e Friendship Association, Sato Design Living, Zurich, Switzerland (Jury’s Special Award)

 

Books:

Lotus, Switzerland, June 2024

“Autumn in Japan: An Ink Painter’s Travel Journal”, Switzerland, 2022 (Volumes Awards Nominee, MBSB Nominee)

“The Tea House Diary”, Switzerland, 2021

“One Moment, One Drawing, Twelve ink drawings to chase the seasons”, Switzerland, 2018

“Why Humans Dance, A world history of dance in objects”, Switzerland, (in development)