"One way to give back is to grow my career, remembering the world I come from," Sebastião Coana.
An artist doesn't live by art alone. They also feed on their values, among them solidarity, a gesture that may seem simple, but is capable of promoting change and leaving inspiring legacies.
Sebastião Coana is one of those visual artists who, whenever possible, gives his best to awaken society to the need to welcome those most in need. Recently, for example, he donated 50,000 meticais to the Esperança Viva Association in Nampula, which focuses on Community Promotion and Development and Early Childhood Education.
It is, as he describes it, a symbolic gesture resulting from a partnership with Beach Polo Mozambique. The initiative underlines that the act of giving is deeply linked to his own artistic journey, since his career was built thanks to the contribution, belief, and support of many people.
“I didn’t wake up with paintbrushes at home to paint, I didn’t wake up with paints, I was given things. So, as time goes by, with this blessing, or this affection that I received, the time comes to be able to reciprocate. And one of the ways to reciprocate is to grow my career, remembering the world I come from,” he stated.
According to the artist, there is a misconception that only those who have a lot can donate. Coana disagrees with this perception and argues that social gestures should respond to a cause and involve everyone, regardless of the amount.
For him, donating is an act that should bring about change and contribute to improving people's living conditions. Furthermore, he believes that help should not be delayed until someone is “well enough”.
“For a simple reason. Because, in my opinion, everything has its time. If your support, your help, arrives late, it may not be as useful as if it had arrived shortly, at the right time. That is, late, you may already have better conditions. But will it have the same impact?” he questioned.
Regarding future plans, Sebastião Coana believes that the best investment is in knowledge. Therefore, he expresses his desire to support training initiatives, especially in the arts.
The artist highlighted the role of the Mozambique Artistic Movement, an association dedicated to training young people in arts and crafts, emphasizing that the growth of the sector depends on empowering people.
“The best money is giving people talent, giving them the hoe so they can earn a living doing something with the talent they are given through training. Because in Mozambique we have a very large potential to generate employment through crafts,” he argued.
(By Joana Mawai)
