Artists

Born in 1934 in Matalana, Maputo Province, Mankew Valente Mahumana is one of Mozambique’s most celebrated artists. Mahumana worked in South African mines from the early 1950s until he formally began his artistic career in 1965.

Mahumana was self-taught, like many of the artists in his generation who also rose to prominence. A sorrowful or contemplative expression is typically carried through the pronounced eyes of Mahumana’s figures. The artist's subdued colour palette and sometimes crowded scenes also set his work apart.

As a member of the country’s liberation party, FRELIMO and of Maputo’s city council, he played an active role in the rebuilding of Mozambique post-independence in the 1970s. This commitment to social justice is immediately apparent in Mahumana’s works, which explore the impact of slavery in Mozambique and depict the day-to-day unfolding of rural life in the country.

He played an important role in the artistic exchange between Mozambique and the former German Democratic Republic as a member of the East German Academy of Arts. In 1985, he was awarded the Nachingwea Medal by the government of Mozambique, which recognises extraordinary merit in its citizens.

Mahumana’s first solo exhibition was held in Maputo in 1973, and since then his art has been exhibited across Mozambique as well as in Portugal, the United Kingdom, Norway and Germany.