Fernando - Huambo, Angola

One great experience in Huambo was meeting artist, Fernando Tambula Mona at his Art gallery called "Atelier e Galeria" located in Cidade Alta on Avenida Norton De Matos. He is a member of UNAP - União Nacional de Artistas e Plasticas.

His studio was the lobby of an old hotel with amazing light and a fascinating old elevator shaft, where he liked to paint. Talking with him about his art process proved to be a bit difficult because my translators were nurses by trade and were not familiar with many of the terms he was using. But thankfully we were able to spend several hours with him over a couple of days and I believe we were able to learn a lot about each other in spite of the language barrier.

He worked mainly with oil on canvas, but incorporated a lot of mixed media like wood shavings and sand with gel medium or resin.

First layer of a mixed media piece using wood shavings and resin

Fernando grew up in the artist markets of Luanda and studied at an art school in the Congo for 4 years. His work is very textural, thick with impasto, creating highly abstracted figures. The generous application of paint is even more impressive when I think about the scarcity of his supplies. Quality oil paint is not available in Huambo and so he must acquire it from Luanda, a 10 hour drive away. This has only enhanced his innovation for supplementation, however.

He showed me soda cans filled with oil-based ink used for fountain pens that he procured from a local business. Fernando’s work is rich with thoughtful symbolism.

This is my favorite piece, which I happily bought from him. It shows women at work, with swirling marks and vibrant colors symbolizing the fast paced energy of the market. A strength and moxy is shown in the repetition of items carried on their heads and symbolizes the determination to earn a living and care for their families, yet softly formed are their feminine figures. I enjoyed this respectful and almost awe-inspired perspective of women from a male artist. Fernando was so kind and welcoming to me and was incredibly driven in his work.

When I told him about my International Art Exchange project, he got to work that very night and came up with this amazing contribution.

You can see on the left the tools of Umbundu women's work, like the mortar and pestle used to grind cornflour. On the right are tools of Umbundu men's work, like a bow & arrow, hammer and machete. These tiny clay sculptures are laid on a layer of sand coated in resin to represent the dusty environment of Angola.

As we talked several other artists filtered in and out. While most of the work in his gallery is his own, he provides a space for other community artists to sell their work as well.

Fernando is an impressive and talented entrepreneur. He has been commissioned to do several murals for businesses around Angola, he has sold about a dozen works to at least one gallery owner in the states and he was even introduced to the Angolan Minister of Culture. I was honored to spend so much time with him to listen and learn about his work and technique.