Every now and then you come across a talent so incredible that you feel a willingness to pay unusual amounts of money for such work. When I first heard about Emanuel Ribeiro as an artist, I was immediately interested in his work with animals but had no idea what kind of standard to expect. That soon changed when I arranged a visit to his atelier in Porto and saw his work in person.

Emanuel works in a small, modest, but very tidy and organised space. Everything is in its place and this goes against the usual image I have of an artist’s studio. There is no craziness, there is no eccentricity. As soon as you walk in, you notice a level of cleanliness and organisation that reflects the artist’s mind and soul. And my chat with Emanuel confirms this – he is someone talented and ambitious yet his head is firmly on his shoulders. As much as he dreams of expanding his reach, he frowns at the idea of overcharging just because he can. And he is very clear about what he would and wouldn’t do to please a client.

It didn’t take long for me to offer Emanuel a collaboration. And no doubt he will be painting my dogs too.