CRISTIANO MANGOVO
CRISTIANO MANGOVO BRÁS WAS BORN IN 1982 IN ANGOLA AND NOW LIVES IN LISBON.
As a child he immigrated to Democratic Republic of Congo, living there as a refugee, finding his vocation and graduating from Beaux-Arts in Kinshasa. His first individual exhibition was held in 2013 at the Art and Culture Foundation in Luanda. In 2014, he won the Mirella Antognoli Argela award from the Italian Embassy and the Ensa-Art prize from AllianceFrançaise in Luanda which led him to participate to an artist-in-residence program at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris. He exhibited at the Angolan Pavilion at Expo Milano 2015. Since, he tookpart in numerous group and solo shows internationally (Portugal, France, Italy, South Africa, DRC, USA,...).
Cristiano Mangovo’s work is a fountain of social and political commentary. The imagery overwhelms with information and stimulation – colour, figuration, distortion, multiple messages conveyed at the same pitch.A cacophony from which images jump out to bite you at intervals, only to be overtaken by other images.
His paintings hold up a mirror to today’s society and its individuals, oversaturated with information, stimulation, distraction and the relentless pace of the 24-hour news cycle.
But if one pauses to focus, each work also presents human tragedy. Mangovo’s sensitivity to the idea of distorted realities and cost of war and displacement takes root in his personal history. As a child during the Angolan civil war, his father sent him away to safety to DRC, where he lived as a refugee for many years, finding his vocation as an artist and graduating from Académie des Beaux- Art in Kinshasa.His international career has given him the opportunity to assess the truthfulness of the many myths about Europe, which populated the colonial narratives and contemporary media. In these narratives, Europe is always a gleaming ideal of superiority, wealth and progress compared to Africa. When travelling there, he could observed poverty and racism and realised myths are just that. These findings led him to develop alternative narratives where he mixes humour, hope and aspiration with the shadow of human suffering.
He paints with flair ; his brush strokes, figurations and use of colour reveal his personal experience but also the study of those who came before him. By paying homage to both the European masters, as well as those who taught him – in Kinshasa, he shapes his own distinctive trait that distinguishes his style. One of the most interesting and exciting things about Mangovo’s work today is the fact that they are infused with anticipation of change, a dynamic pace and instability which makes any future possible.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS (Selection)
October 2018: «On the Streets of Lisbon» Individual Exhibition and Performance at the Ainori Contemporary Art Gallery »Lisbon - Portugal
June 2018: Artistic residence at the Ainori Contemporary Art Gallery, Lisbon - Portugal
May 2018: «The Box» Individual exhibition at the International Art Fair, Art3F Luxembourg, Parc des Expo, Luxembourg
October 2017: Open studio and Artistic Residence at Hangar (Center for Artistic Investigation), Lisbon - Portugal
May 2017: "Riches of Africa" Exhibition and Individual Installation at the Portuguese Cultural Center, Camões Institute, Luanda-Angola
March 2017: «100 Protection» Artistic Residence, Exhibition and Individual Performance at First Floor Gallery Harare, Harare-Zimbabwe
November 2016: "What direction? », Exhibition, Installation and Individual Performance at the Cultural Center Brazil-Angola, Luanda-Angola
March 2016: Donation of a painting auctioned to support the activities of the “Support Center for Street Children” of the Samu Social Organization International Luanda, Hotel Epic Sana, Luanda- Angola
March 2016: «Air P» Infecting the City Sessions ITC, Installation and Individual Performance at the International Festival of Urban Arts, at Saint George street, Cape Town-South Africa
March 2016: Job preparation residency at the University of Cape Town, Hiddingh Campus, Cape Town-South Africa
March 2016: Workshop and working sessions with the children of Cp Lycée Française A.E.F.L. of Luanda- Angola
October 2015: "Guiadores", Exhibition and individual performance in the Dr. Antônio Agostinho Neto Memorial, Luanda-Angola
August 2015: "Open Studio No. 2016", Individual Exhibition at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, Paris-France
July-August 2015: Artistic residency at the Cité Internationale des Arts in Paris, Paris-France
July 2015: Expo Milano 2015, Expo Universal, “Seed of Memory”, Installation and Individual Performance at the Pavilion of Angola, Milan- Italy
July 2015: Designing education and basic sanitation for O.N.G. The Mentor initiative, HuamboAngola
July 2013: «CALUNIAR» Exhibition and individual installation in Fundação Arte e Cultura LR, at the Tamargolan Gallery, Luanda Angola
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
February 2019: «Surroundings», collective exhibition at the Ainori Gallery, Lisbon - Portugal
February 2019: Investec Cape Town Art Fair 2019, Collective Exhibition with the TINAWC Gallery (This Is a Not White Cube), Cape Town, South Africa
November 2018: «Art Contemporain Africain», Collective auction in Piasa, Paris - France
November 2018: Artissima 2018, International Contemporary Art Fair. Represented by the TINAWC Gallery (This Is Not a White Cube), Turin - Italy
September 2018: Joburg Art Fair, Collective Exhibition at the International Art Fair, represented by the TINAWC Gallery (This Is Not a White Cube), Sandton Convention - South Africa;
June 2018: «Being City» Collective exhibition at the TINAWC Gallery (This is Not a White Cube), Bank Econômico, Luanda - Angola;
April 2018: «Ensa Art Award 2018» Collective exhibition of selected artists in the prize, Museum of Currency, Luanda - Angola;
April 2018: «Ainori Contemporary art Gallery» Collective exhibition for the opening of the Ainori Gallery, Lisbon - Portugal;
March 2018: «Untitled 01» Collective exhibition at the TINAWC Gallery (This is Not a White Cube), Bank Econômico, Luanda - Angola;
February 2018: '' Viva '' Offer of a painting of remembrance following the Invitation to the Dinner with the President of the Republic of Portugal, Mr. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, at the Presidential Palace in Belém, Lisbon - Portugal;
February 2018: «Arte Mirabilis» Collective exhibition at UCCLA (Union of Portuguese Capital Cities), Lisbon - Portugal
November 2017: «Oit'Art» Collective exhibition at Galeria Baag, Lisbon - Portugal
November 2017: «Kaluandando» Collective exhibition at the Soap Factory, Luanda - Angola;
September 2017: «Luuanda», Performance and collective exhibition at the Hangar, (Center for Artistic Research), Lisbon - Portugal
March 2017: "Representation of the human figure in art in Angola", Collective exhibition at Banco Económico, Luanda-Angola
January 2017: "Day of Culture and Art", Collective Exhibition at the International Exhibition of Unap (National Union of Plastic Artists), Luanda-Angola
April 2016: "Ensa-Arte 2016 Award", collective exhibition at the Cultural Center Brazil-Angola, Luanda-Angola
February 2016: «Trilogia Contemporânea», Collective Exhibition in the CEFOJOR Training center for journalists, Luanda-Angola
December 2015: Collective exhibition in reference to the opening of Galeria Mov'Art, LuandaAngola
November 2015: "Arte comfusão", collective exhibition at the Portuguese Cultural Center, Camões, Luanda-Angola
December 2014: «13th Exhibition of Fine Arts», collective exhibition at the Pierrefitte Cultural Center, Paris-France
September 2014: "Fenaculte 2014", collective exhibition in Baía de Luanda, Luanda-Angola. Realization of Painting on the mural of Avenida 21 de Janeiro, Luanda, Angola.
August 2014: «7th International Biennial of Engraving of the Douro PT_2014 » Collective exhibition at the public gallery, Alijó-Portugal
July 2014: «Ensa Art Award 2014» Collective exhibition at the Portuguese Cultural Center, Camões, Luanda-Angola
April 2014: "Painting Exhibition of Angolan Art to celebrate the 12th Anniversary of Peace & National Reconciliation", Collective Exhibition at National Park in New York, USA
February 2014: Prize '' Mirella Antognoli Argelá '' for Painting and Sculpture Angolan Artists, organized by the Embassy of Italy and Angola ONLUS, Collective Exhibition, Celamar Gallery, Luanda- Angola
February 2014: «Traces of Angolanity» Collective exhibition organized by UNAP (National Union of Plastic Artists), in the Dr. António Agostinho Neto Memorial, Luanda-Angola
November 2013: «JAANGO» Artistic residence, Performance, Installation, and Collective exhibition at the National Museum of Natural History of Luanda, Luanda-Angola
November 2013: «ARQUIVO MORTO» BAI ARTE 2013, Collective exhibition at the BAI Bank Academia Cultural Center, Luanda-Angola
November 2013: «COOPEARTE» Ninth Edition, Collective Exhibition at Celamar Gallery, Luanda-Angola
September 2013: Collective exhibition at Hotel Trópico, Luanda- Angola «National Youth Forum» Organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Public exhibition, Luanda - Angola
July 2013: «Competition creating green toy», organized by Kamba verde, Member of the jury, Foundation Art and Culture LR, Luanda- Angola
July 2013: Recovery object, Workshop on the reuse and recycling of objects from the environment with the children of the Art and Culture Foundation LR, Luanda-Angola
August 2012: Collective exhibition (in public), Galeria Maria-Luisa Project (Centro Comercial, Viana)
November 2011: Realization Works of wall painting, ADPP Angola, in Luanda; Mother Africa Collective Exhibition, Hotel / Pousada Confident, in Luanda
August 2010: Realization of wall-painting works, headquarters of the MPLA / Cabinda
November 2009: Performing Plastic Arts at Atelier Pintura, surroundings Hotel Simulambuco / Cabinda
January 2009: «Tapage-24», Performance at Academia Belas Arts / Kinshasa-DRC
November 2008: World Day against HIV-AIDS - Exhibition
Collective at the Craft Fair with the United Nations Staff Association UNDP / Kinshasa-DRC
July 2008: Installation and Performance at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kinshasa / DRC entitled
"Where They Went"; Individual exhibition on the Night of the Cabaret organized by "Les-Enchanteurs", French Cultural Center of Kinshasa / DRC
June 2008: Individual installation with the theme "The day-to-day", Center
French Cultural Center of Kinshasa / DRC
October 2006: Collective exhibition in the Furniture Show and Object of
Kinshasa / National Museum Institute of Kinshasa / DRC
June 2006: Collective exhibition at the International Symposium on Sexual Violence (Action Against Violence Project). Palace EGMONT-Brussels
April 2006: Installation-Performance «Apparition within the World of Peace». Collaboration Students from the School of Decorative Arts in Strasbourg (France). Academy of Fine Arts of Kinshasa / DRC
December 2005: "Promise of equality", Collective exhibition on sexual violence and inequality on women »Academy of
Fine Arts of Kinshasa / DRC
September 2005: Collective exhibition at the Italian Embassy in Kinshasa / DRC;
March 2005: "Intergovernmental World Conference on the Survival of the Great Apes", Collective Exhibition at the Grand Hotel de Kinshasa / RDC
EXIBITIONS AWARDS:
October 2018: Light of Day 2018 Art Competition, 5th place in painting at the International Plastic Arts Prize, New York, United States
April 2018: Ensa Art Award 2018: Prize in the category of Grand Prize of Painting, Museum of the Currency, Luanda- Angola
July 2014: Ensa Art Award /2014: Ensa Art Alliance Francaise Award and Honorable Mention in Painting. Honorable Mention in Sculpture, Portuguese Camões Cultural Center, Luanda- Angola
February 2014: "Mirella Antognoli Argelá" Award for Painting and Sculpture Angolan Artists, organized by the Italian Embassy in Angola ONLUS, First Prize and Public Award, Galeria Celamar, Luanda- Angola
May 2007: Consecrated «5th Prize of the Francophonie Contest». Society Francophonie / Kinshasa-DRC
June 2006: Awarded the "3rd National / Regional Contest Award" on "Promise of Equality" by the United Nations Population Fund, Kinshasa / DRC
November 2005: Awarded the "Special Award" of the United Nations Population Fund Contest on "Promise of equality, violence and sexual inequality for women". Kinshasa / DRC
