Born in Lagoa, Algarve, in 1925, Manuel Gamboa lived in Lisbon with his father from 1932 to 1944, before returning to the Algarve at the age of 19. At that time, he embarked on a journey to Morocco, where he stayed for just a year. In the 1950s, he associated with artists such as Artur Bual, Francisco Relógio, and Rui Filipe. He maintained close relationships with contemporary poets and writers, including Manuel de Castro, J. Pressler, Herberto Helder, David Mourão-Ferreira, and Natália Correia, alongside Virgílio Ferreira, Sttau Monteiro, Aquilino, and Tomaz de Figueiredo. At the beginning of his career, he was sponsored by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation for his studies and learning. In 1960, he visited Paris, where he temporarily lived with the painter D'Assumpção. He settled permanently in Hamburg, Germany, in 1964, until his return to Portugal in 1987 to live in Lagoa, his hometown. Manuel Gamboa held solo exhibitions in various countries, including Germany multiple times, as well as in several locations in Portugal, including the São Bento Gallery. He was a member of the International Federation of Artists based in Brussels. He was honored by the Lagoa Municipal Council, receiving the Municipal Merit Medal of Lagoa in 1993, and having the exhibition room in the Convent of São José named after him. He also won the Arts and Letters Award of the Algarve. In 2017, on the occasion of his 92nd birthday, the Arandis Editora published the biographical work "A Jornada de Mestre Gamboa" by Maria Helena Carmo. Manuel Gamboa was a renowned figure in the art world, with his works present in prestigious public and private painting collections across all continents. His graphic work is particularly remarkable, both in drawing and printmaking (linoleum, screen printing), as well as in monotype and batik (painting on fabrics in original clothing designs). Manuel Gamboa passed away on February 13, 2020, in Portimão.