Born in 1966 in Recife, Brazil, Henrique Pontual has broken boundaries with his actions as an architect and photographer. Henrique was raised by an architect father and a creative free-thinking mother. He spent his early years in Albany, CA and considers the San Francisco Bay Area a second home.  He was formally trained as an architect from 1990-1992 at the Instituto Metodista Bennet in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and previously at the Universidade Santa Ursula from 1986-1990.  However, it was in 2002 that he returned to his life-long passion of photography.

After several years of studio in Recife and Rio and having specialized his work in Milan and Cologne, Pontual launched his first major exhibition “Venetian Masks” at the State Museum of Pernambuco and in Rio de Janeiro in the Federal Justice Cultural Center, in the Villa Riso and in The Santa Theresa Project Open House in 2006-2007. In 2008, Pontual launched his 1^st photographic series Limits. He has continued to work with the dance community in Rio with his 2012 Dance Series and with his current 2013-2014 Nude Series.  Since 2010, Pontual’s works published nine books: Movimentos, Friends of the Arts, From Father to Son: Portuguese Immigrants in Rio de Janeiro, Rua Larga published by Historical Documents, Vida e Palco Cecilia Kerche, Black Face, and São João Marcos; Bolshoi School Art and Citizenship launched in Moscow in June 2014.

In 2014, Pontual’s Nude Series was exhibited as a solo show at the Federal Justice Cultural Center of Rio de Janeiro. Henrique Pontual is currently represented by Tramas Gallery in Rio de Janerio and starting to exhibit his work throughout the United States with WaldmanArts.