In the city of Maputo, an exhibition recalls the scars of Portuguese colonialism in Mozambique. "Black Ink on White Background" by Portuguese artist João Ayres (1921-2001) brings to light profound portraits of misery, racism, and the social condition of black people during the colonial era.
The show, featuring works created in Mozambique between 1947 and 1970, is displayed at various locations across the city, including the Kulungwana Gallery, Guimarães Rosa Institute (IGR), National Museum of Art (MUSART), and Camões – Portuguese Cultural Center.
Ayres' works are a window into the past, focusing on the lives of the working class, dock workers in Maputo, and the most genuine cultural expressions of Mozambicans. They capture the development of the revolutionary spirit that culminated in the fight for national liberation.
Curated by Alda Costa from Mozambique and Natxo Checa from Portugal, the exhibition also reaffirms its historical and artistic importance in the country, offering a rare opportunity to delve into the first three decades of Ayres' artistic production, underscoring his relevance and legacy.
The exhibition program was enriched last week with the screening of the film "João Ayres, Independent Painter," by Diogo Varela Silva, providing an even more comprehensive view of the artist and his impact.
João Ayres, born in Lisbon in 1921, studied Architecture at the Porto School of Fine Arts. In 1946, he moved to Mozambique, where his father, painter Frederico Ayres, was a professor at the Technical School of then Lourenço Marques, now Maputo. Here, he taught painting and drawing courses at the Núcleo de Arte, influencing and training artists such as António Bronze, José Júlio and Malangatana.
(By Mozavibe)
