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The changes in Mozambique’s political history during the 1960s and 1970s significantly impacted Malangatana’s life and work. He is also a figure that had a tremendous impact on Mozambican art history, so I am delighted to be part of a team that is bringing further visibility to his work,” says Felicia Mings, Academic Curator at the Art Institute of Chicago.

This, paired with the social impulse of these works as well as his larger oeuvre and life, make him a truly prolific, civically engaged artist––someone that we can all learn from. “ Malangatana’s stunning aesthetic will captivate audiences. While his first paintings show traces of the styles of European modernism he encountered in his art education and through the interaction with his mentors, Malangatana soon established his unique aesthetic, ranging from his distinct color palette to the inclusion of elements from daily life in fantastical scenes. In this period, Malangatana became active in the artistic and cultural milieu of Maputo and found his first teachers and sponsors in artists and architects João Ayres, Augusto Cabral, and Pancho Guedes. Though largely self-taught, Malangatana took painting classes in the late 1950s at the Industrial School and the Núcleo de Arte da Colónia de Moçambique (Colonial Arts Center of Mozambique)-the latter a center of artistic activity in the capital Maputo (then Lourenço Marques). Malangatana: Mozambique Modern proposes that modern art is an inherently unstable art-historical category that requires constant revision and questioning.” Hendrik Folkerts, Dittmer Curator of Contemporary Art at the Art Institute of Chicago mentions: “ The work of Malangatana presents an exceptional opportunity for the Art Institute to think more globally and critically about international modernisms, in both our exhibition program and the museum’s collection. As such, many of the symbols in Malangatana’s paintings show the artist’s early exposure to Christian education and motifs that reference religious and cultural practices of the Ronga people to which he belonged. In choosing the subjects of his work, Malangatana took a decidedly allegorical approach, taking inspiration from local religious practices, his own cultural background, and life under Portuguese rule. Malangatana: Mozambique Modern is organized by Hendrik Folkerts, Dittmer Curator of Contemporary Art Felicia Mings, Academic Curator and Constantine Petridis, Chair of the Department of Arts of Africa and the Americas. Moreover, in this period Malangatana imbued his paintings and drawings with social commentary and critique of the colonial situation in Mozambique.

It was during this time that Malangatana developed a signature painting style, characterized by a dense assembly of figures on the picture plane, the phantasmagoric depiction of animals, humans and supernatural creatures, and a composite palette of bright and dark colors. Opening March 21 and on view through July 5, the Art Institute of Chicago will be showcasing Malangatana: Mozambique Modern, an exhibition that brings together over 40 key paintings and drawings that highlight the years between 19. The Fountain of Blood (A fonte de sangue), 1961.

FASHION ART INSTITUTE OF CHICAGO FULL

His show-stopping look was a gorgeous, full ruffled skirt - he told us he hand-folded 65 yards of organza to make it! He dreams of going to Paris to make couture clothes.Born in Mozambique, Malangatana Ngwenya (1936-2011) was a painter, a poet, a revered national hero, and a pioneer of modern African art. He used very earth and sky colors, along with embellishments inspired by the natural world (another recurring theme in student work) and Native American motifs. The Chicago native hopes to stay in the city and open her own shop.Īlex Ulichny is inspired by his late Aunt Penolope’s time in 1960’s era New Mexico, and the stories he crafted by sifting through her photos and objects. The look is a bit Matrix (and futurism is a strong theme throughout student work) and a bit militaristic - fitted on top but a bit more flow toward the bottom of the garments. She uses severe, dark and heavy materials such as leather in the service of very feminine forms.

Jasmine Tsang is inspired by the German Expressionist film The Cabinet of Dr. Muadsong is from Thailand and plans to spend the next year apprenticing in New York City. Pirada Muadsong is inspired by shape shifters - those legendary creatures that morph between human and animal form at the drop of a hat! There was more variety across her 5 outfits, but the center-piece was a white wedding-esque dress topped by a Pippi Longstocking-ish boater hat. In the meantime, here are some emerging designers that caught our eye - and the lens of Kate Dries.

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