Maritime Archaeology
Inhabited late in life, Cape Verde has forged its identity against all odds. With freedom as an essential value, the Cape Verdean people now live in a peaceful and warm atmosphere. Its tumultuous past is revealed underwater. However, the seabed is still far from revealing all its secrets. Artefacts from Europe, Asia and Africa have been discovered in the depths and collected in the Archaeological Museum, formerly the Núcleo Museólogico da Praia. These relics come from the many shipwrecks that occurred around the islands. A varied collection of objects that speak to us of Bolivia and Sweden, but above all of Cape Verde's mixed-race past.
The Figueira brothers
A former sailor, Carlos Alberto Silva Figueira, known as Tchalé Figueira, was born in São Vicente in 1953. He is one of Cape Verde's most renowned painters. His works have met with success in Europe, the United States and Africa. He began his artistic career at the Ecole des Beaux-Arts in Switzerland, while at the same time devoting himself to poetry. Tchalé draws his inspiration from his surroundings in Mindelo and Santo Antão, which he depicts with expressionist brushstrokes. Today, he is Cape Verde's most outward-looking painter. He stands out for his series denouncing dictatorship and colonization in Africa.
Tchalé and his older brother Manuel paint and exhibit in their Mindelo studio, but you can also easily meet them at Café Lisboa, on Rue de Lisboa, which they frequent regularly. In fact, it's the island's favorite spot for artists. Manuel Figueira, his brother Tchalé and his wife Luisa Queirós have long formed a family of painters well known and esteemed in the archipelago. Manuel is said to be the most inspired of his generation.
They exhibit their work on the second floor of Casa Figueira (near the Belém Tower), which has been converted into a gallery, as well as on the walls of Café Lisboa. After more than thirty years in business, Manuel Figueira is one of the leading figures on the cultural scene. Trained at the Lisbon School of Fine Arts, he has lived in Cape Verde since 1975. Since then, he has tirelessly sketched the lives of his contemporaries, capturing them in everyday moments. His style, neither naïve nor excessively realistic, incorporates Cubist lessons mixed with a breath of freedom that sets him apart.
Luísa Queirós
Originally from Portugal, Luísa Queirós (1941-2017) took advantage of the Carnation Revolution to fly to Cape Verde in 1975. After graduating from the Lisbon School of Fine Arts, she exhibited her work for the first time in 1966 at the Spanish Embassy. After becoming a graphic arts teacher, she settled in São Vicente and met her future husband, the painter Manuel Figueira. Luísa actively fought against colonialism. Shortly before independence, the couple settled permanently in Mindelo. A painter and poet, she was involved in promoting local crafts and helped found the National Crafts Centre with Bela Duarte and her husband. Her colorful paintings feature characters in a world inspired by her direct environment. Her primitive silhouettes seem carried away by invisible forces. The rounded shapes of her figures soften the sense of fear that emanates from some of her paintings.
Alongside her many activities, she writes illustrated children's books and exhibits worldwide, notably in the Iberian Peninsula, France, Belgium and the USA. She also had her own studio at Casa Figueira.
Her lifelong friend Bela Duarte arrived in Cape Verde at the same time as her, after the April 25th revolution. Bela Duarte made a name for herself in tapestry and batiks, and also pursued a career as a painter. Her canvases are distinguished by their use of geometry and monochrome. She too enjoys depicting everyday Cape Verdean life, whether evocative of the landscape or traditional activities.
The Museum of Traditional Art originally housed the weaving workshops of a cooperative organized after independence by Manuel Figueira, Bela Duarte and Luísa Queirós. Today, this magnificent building steeped in history exhibits several hundred creations ranging from arts and crafts to sculptures, ceramics and batiks. When you visit these collections, imagine that in the 1930s, Mindelo's elite held balls in the great hall.
The vibrant painting of Kiki Lima
The work of Kiki Lima, a painter born in 1953 in Punta do Sol, Cape Verde, is a favorite. His colorful figures exude a dynamism that pays tribute to the Cape Verdean festive spirit. His works are exhibited throughout the islands. He is also the most acclaimed and best-selling artist in the world. Originally destined for a career in law, Kiki Lima went to study in Portugal, but two years later reoriented himself towards art, which he had discovered as a teenager. From then on, he devoted himself to painting, determined to support his large family with his talent. After a difficult period, accompanied by the anguish evident in his early canvases, he achieved such success that he opened a gallery in Portugal. Luminosity reappeared in his canvases, filled with a joyful expressionism. But he missed Cape Verde, and back on his native island, he founded the Kaza d'Ajinha, a place of solidarity and culture. A painter, sculptor and draughtsman, he also describes urban and rural life in his songs. A renowned singer-songwriter, he sings La marchande de poissons, la Rue de Lisbonne and le Commerce du Coin.
Street art
On every island, in every town in Cape Verde, graffiti decorates the walls of homes.
A student of Manuel Figueira, João Fortes attended the Centre Nation d'Artisanat. At the CNA, he trained in various techniques: tapestry, ceramics and painting. Although he has not yet achieved the fame of his teacher, he is known for the 30-metre fresco he painted on one of the city's walls.
Since 1993, the Sete Sóis Sete Luas festival of Mediterranean and Lusophone music and arts has provided an opportunity for artistic exchanges between Cape Verde and many other countries. On this occasion, street artists Raphaël Gindt and Daniel Mac Lloyd were invited to Cape Verde in 2020. Their two-week residency took them to the islands of Brava, Fogo, Santo Antão and Santa Catarina de Santiago, with the support of the Luxembourg Embassy. Among their creations: a fresco at the Santa Catarina de Santiago Library; a second on the island of Brava, paying tribute to the women of Cape Verde; and a third on the island of Fogo, raising awareness of the survival of an endemic bird.
The festival focuses on popular music and contemporary art. Its aim is to foster intercultural dialogue by weaving a fruitful network.
In Mindelo, the cultural capital of Cape Verde, art is readily displayed on the walls. On foot, by bike or by car, tracking down street art in the city's various districts is a great opportunity to meet the locals.
To find your way around, start from the central square and head towards Laginha beach, then follow the seafront. Around Mindelo Bay, local artists have reproduced children's drawings on the walls. All elementary school pupils were invited to work on the theme of the environment. Not far away, in Fonte Cônego, is the best-known fresco in this open-air gallery. Signed by Portuguese artist Vhils, it features the famous morna singer Cesaria Evora.
Outside the city center, budding street artists cover the walls of the popular Praça d'Estrela district with graffiti.
Photography
Photography has a special place in Cape Verde. The islands' landscapes inspire foreign and local photographers alike. A residency in Mindelo welcomes young photographers from Portuguese-speaking Africa to help them develop their professional skills. The Catchupa Factory residency is funded by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. For African photographers such as Michelle Loukidis, it's an opportunity to show the world an Africa seen through the eyes of its inhabitants.
The second most famous Cape Verdean personality abroad, the writer João Cleofas Martins (1901-1970) was also a photographer. As early as 1928, while visiting Lisbon, he took up this art form. Back in Mindelo, he founded the Foto Progresso association in 1931. He took countless photos of the islands. The most striking of these are the Lajinha series from 1938. As a radio commentator, he was one of the voices critical of the current regime.
Alexandre Conceição (Xan, born 1950) followed in his footsteps, publishing his photos in the press (l'Expresso das ilhas, Afro, Panu di Terra, etc.). Author of poems, he devotes himself to photography within the Cape Verdean community in Portugal.
Young generation
Like their elders, the artists of the rising generation combine disciplines.
Sculptor, painter and photographer, Abraão Vicente is representative of the new generation of Cape Verdean artists. A blogger and television host, he became a Member of Parliament and then Minister of Culture and Creative Industries in 2016. Born in 1980 in Assomada, on the island of Santiago, his work is marked by the style of Basquiat. His influence can be felt in his paintings, which are a cross between collage and graffiti, mixing drawing, painting and recycled paper.
Cíntia Lima was born in Portugal in 1985, but moved to Cape Verde, her parents' homeland, at a very early age.
Albertino Silva, a mechanic by trade, creates sculptures from recycled objects. This free spirit prefers to experiment with materials rather than chase fame. That's why we love his originality!
