In "Bageze ngobisi 8," Buhlebezwe Siwani uses photography to present a striking visual of five figures against a stark black background, emphasizing their skin tones with the contrast. The composition centers around interconnected figures, accentuating intimacy and unity. Elements like turquoise paint and natural props introduce symbolic depth, invoking themes of heritage and identity. Siwani’s style combines contemporary and traditional motifs, employing bold color contrasts and minimalist backdrops to elevate the figures. This work contextualizes African spiritual and cultural narratives within a modern artistic framework, highlighting the collective experience and resilience. ...
MADRAGOA is a contemporary art gallery founded in 2016 in the homonymous neighborhood of Lisbon’s historical center. Since its beginning, the gallery has been an early supporter of a number of international young artists such as Adrián Balseca, Rodrigo Hernández, Renato Leotta, Buhlebezwe Siwani, Joanna Piotrowska, and Yuli Yamagata, whose first productions and exhibition have been produced and promoted by the gallery and often presented for the first time in Portugal. Moreover, Madragoa launched the careers of young Portuguese artists such as Sara Chang Yan, Luís Lázaro Matos, Gonçalo Preto, and Jaime Welsh, giving them visibility on the international scene. From its peripheral location in Europe, MADRAGOA’s project focuses on how to set a deep conversation with the city and its extraordinary potential, setting a dialogue between global artistic practices and local craftsmanship and ideas. The gallery always created experiences of research and production for its artists locally and promotes its program also through the participation in a number of international art fairs, gallery exchanges, and exhibition projects. MADRAGOA is currently recognized as one of the most innovative realities in the Portuguese art scene, while it succeeded to obtain visibility internationally throughout its years of its activity. At the moment, the gallery actively represents artists from Portugal, Italy, Ecuador, Mexico, Poland, Spain, Brazil and South Africa. ...
