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.

Artist: Fernando Tambula Mona 

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.

Fernando gave me a gift of a tiny painted bird made from a pine cone.

Artisan Market - Lubango, Angola

 

Driving into the center of town we passed many vendors on the street selling vegetables, fruit, baskets and various other goods.

We passed an interesting catholic church with a modern twist on gothic architecture. It had beautiful teal doors and interesting window patterns that reflected the patterns in the mosaics on the walkway in the front.

Across from this church was a walled courtyard with a small group of vendors. Teague and Robert led me through the grassy yard into a small room where two men were woodworking. Along two walls were shelves filled with stone and wood carvings of iconic Angolan imagery. The most common were busts of women from the Mwila Tribe carved from purplish pink rocks of the nearby Chibia Quarry and the Pensador, (The Thinker) which is one of the most famous symbols of Angolan culture.

While Lubango is in the southwest of Angola - home to the Mwila Tribe - the Pensador originated with the Chokwe Tribe in the Northeast part of Angola. This tribe has the most famous artwork in Angola and it has been influential across the country. You can find the Pensador on everything from Angola’s currency to the bathroom doors. 

However the most fascinating was watching the craftsman carve a Pensador from start to nearly finish. I got to stand close enough to have wood shards fly into my face and hair. He masterfully hammered on different chisels until the form began to appear out of what was once a rectangular block of wood.

The ground was dirt covered with a layer of sawdust, wood scraps and rock pebbles. A chicken sat beneath the artist’s feet and the air was thick and hot. But I could have stayed there and watched him carve all day.