Malangatana Ngwenya

Malangatana Valente Ngwenya (* June 6, 1936 Matalana, district Marracuene, Mozambique, † January 5, 2011 in Matosinhos, Portugal ) was a Mozambican painter, sculptor, and poet. As an artist, he used his first name Malangatana.

Biography

He attended mission schools and came to Lourenço Marques, today's Maputo, where he worked as " moleque " as supervision for children with twelve years. In 1953 he worked as a ball boy at a tennis club, which allowed him to continue his education and to supervise night classes. He developed an interest in the arts and in 1960, a professional artist, also thanks to the help of the Portuguese architect Pancho Guedes, who gave him space for his studio. At the age of 25, he had his first exhibition in 1961 at the Banco Nacional Marino Ultra. In 1963 he published some of his poems in the newspaper " Orfeu Negro" and was " because Antologia Poesia Moderna Africana " included in the.

At this time he was accused of being a member of FRELIMO, jailed and released to March 23, 1966 only at. On January 4, 1971 he was arrested again, in order to explain the symbolism of his painting September 25, which had recently been exhibited in Núcleo de Arte, which endangered his departure to Portugal, where he received a scholarship from the Gulbenkian Foundation for study of printmaking and ceramics.

After the independence of Mozambique, he was elected in 1990 for the FRELIMO deputies. In 1998 he was elected to the City Council of Maputo and re-elected in 2003. He participated in literacy campaigns and the organization of villages in the province of Nampula. He was one of the founders of the " Movimento para a Paz Mocambicano " and participated in the " Artistas do Mundo contra o apartheid ".

Work

His work revolved around historical and political events in Mozambique, to the Portuguese colonialism to independence in 1975, the anti-colonial struggle and post-independence of the country on topics such as the Civil War. Then the spectrum of his work was broad and universal. He described the hardships of life and his heroic aspects and expressed sensual about love.

Over the years many solo exhibitions were held in Mozambique, Austria, Bulgaria, Chile, Cuba, USA, Spain, India, Macau, Portugal and Turkey. He painted several murals or engraved in cement. Apart from painting, his drawings, watercolors, prints, ceramics, carpets and sculptures were known and it was issued in a number of museums and public galleries as well as in private collections around the world.

Awards

Malangatana was honored with the medal Nachingwea for his services to the Mozambican culture and he was awarded the 1995 Grand Officer of the Order of Infante Dom Henrique.

In 1997, UNESCO awarded him him as " Artist for Peace " and he was awarded the Prince Claus Award.

In 2010 he was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa from the University Évoraund he was honored by the French government as a Commandeur des Arts et Lettres.

Malangatana was also one of the few foreigners who have been appointed as Honorary Members of the Academy of Arts of the GDR.