Juliao Sarmento was born in Lisboa on 4 November, 1948, where he studied painting and architecture at the University of Fine Arts from 1967 to 1974. Juliao Sarmento developed a multi-medial picture language and combined film, video, sound, painting, sculpture and installations for specific exhibitional projects. Since 1979 his works were displayed in Europe, America and Japan. He became a lecturer at the Center for Present Art in Kitakyushu, Japan. In that year he was the only Portugese artist taking part at the Biennale in Venice and gained international recognition. Juliao Sarmento accepted a lectureship at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich from 1998 to 1999. Today he lives and works in Sintra.