Malangatana

Malangatana Ngwenya (1936–2011) was a prominent Mozambican artist, born in Matalana, Mozambique. His work played a crucial role in shaping an Africanist aesthetic in Europe and America. Deeply connected to the socio-political conditions of his home country, his art reflects both the struggle for independence, which Mozambique achieved in 1975, and the subsequent civil war (1977–1992). In 1964, Ngwenya joined the Mozambique liberation movement FRELIMO and was imprisoned for eighteen months by the Portuguese secret police for his involvement. Following his release, he received a grant from the Gulbenkian Foundation in 1971 to study printmaking and ceramics in Portugal. This period marked a significant time for his art, during which he vividly depicted the tragic effects of war, including violence, hunger, and death. Ngwenya was prolific, holding numerous exhibitions in Mozambique and creating large-scale murals. After Mozambique's independence, he became more politically active, and his artistic output declined between 1974 and 1978.