Cape Verde

_{Posted on Monday: 18-06-2007}

New Capeverdean Talents

_{Jose Carlos and Miranda Brito are both Capeverdean Painters born in Angola. At only seven years of age, Jose’ Carlo’s family left their home in Green Handle, Cape Verde where he was living with his parents and four brothers. The family moved to Portugal in search of better living conditions as well as to forget the war in Angola. It was in Portugal that Jose’ Carlo assembled and initiated plastic art in his work.}

_{It started by a photography course introduced by the Center of Youth in Setúbal where he lived and worked. Photography started taking a center stage and making a mark in his work. His work is a combination of photos and paintings which he recons brings in a force of representation of art thereby creating a rich and powerful message to the viewer. His art he says has influenced other artists who are part of the Africa Artistic Universe such as Malangatana and Dília Fraguito.}

_{Jose Carlos first exhibition was a group collaboration done through Our Lady of the Announced one, in the Museum of Setúbal. It was through the encouragement of a friend Zeca Gregoria that he looked to reach the kind of painting style that has been seen in his work ever since. He has participated in many group exhibitions since then. His solo exhibitions emulate the history of his childhood passage. He has managed to display his work in the Cultural Circle, the Center of Youth and the Municipal Library, the Altis Hotel, University Lusófona or Universidade de Faro as well as in Sesimbra and Lisbon.}

 _{Miranda Brito is a Capeverdean painter who moved from Green Handle and settled in Portugal.  She has dedicated her soul to the arts since she started living with artists and remembers with affection when her father asked her to paint cabala. This was the beginning of her career. Her appearance in group exhibitions has led to her work being recognized by other artists and art promoters. Miranda has had exposure in several art exhibitions whose themes relate to social issues. Her inspiration comes easy, ”everything has a reason” she says. “I painted landscapes before but I felt the message was weak. Now I am more captivated by something more than nature that binds me to the Green Handle”.  With time Miranda’s paintings captivated the strong representation of the ‘African Negro’. She says that with time she worried if people would understand her message as her message was important to reach the viewer. Her use of combining mediums of plastic and paints has been a constant learning ground, forming a rhythm in her work that she is content with.}

_{Miranda has received an invitation to exhibit her work at Green Handle, the land of her parents. She hopes that this visit to the island of Cape Verde will give her another chance to visit the island, the people and the artists there even as she still searches for inspiration.}

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