Artist Database

Luis M. S. Santos (b. 1993) is a multidisciplinary artist working primarily in sculpture and drawing. He graduated in sculpture in 2016 from the Faculdade de Belas Artes da Universidade do Porto, Portugal, and is based in Mozambique, where he teaches at the Faculty of Arts of the Instituto Superior de Artes e Cultura. Santos addresses issues of social and political injustice, using the African context as a reference, while reflecting on his role as an artist in the process of transforming this landscape, and questions the future of humanity in the intricate relationship between humankind, nature and technology.

Santos conceptualises his sculptures through drawing, a process that allows him to anticipate and solve the technical, formal and communicative challenges of conveying his ideas. These drawings carry nuances of satire and social criticism, functioning not only as visual studies but also as reflections on contemporary conditions.

The creative process is guided by thorough practical investigation, the artist constantly challenging himself to experiment with new materials and reinvent his methods of manipulation. He moves between additive and subtractive approaches, resulting in large conglomerates of juxtaposed forms, found objects, rhythmic patterns and structures, with certain moments of figurative sculpture.

Santos is a recipient of the Paulo Cunha e Silva Award, the 2023 Prince Claus Seed Award and the 2023 Mozal Arts and Culture Award. Solo exhibitions include menino, não fala política at RESERVOIR, Cape Town; Desmontagem, curated by João Roxo at Galeria Kulungwana in Maputo (2023); and Aquilo que o corpo já esqueceu at Centro Cultural Franco Moçambicano in Maputo (2019). Group exhibitions include iSenzo Sak’dala: indlela ibuzwa kwaba phambili, curated by Lebo Kekana at RESERVOIR (2024); Ser Humano, celebrating 20 years of MUVART, and Prémio Paulo Cunha e Silva at Galeria Municipal do Porto, both 2023; and Pares, for the 3rd International Biennial of Gaia, Portugal (2019). RESERVOIR has presented his work at RMB Latitudes (2025), the Investec Cape Town Art Fair (2026) and Art Brussels, Belgium (2026), and his work forms part of the Galila Barzilai Hollander P.O.C. collection.