Ilídio candja candja
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"Painting after painting, Candja Candja asserts his extraordinary creative freedom and produces a work of internal otherness to the art world without demagoguery or naïveté, influenced by what might have been his artistic training in the colourful tradition of his country." | Victor Pinto
In his paintings, Mozambican-born artist Ilidio Candja Candja draws the audience into a personal exploration of his playful and dynamic energy. Executed in a style resonant with Abstract Expressionism and Action Painting, his works are characterized by spontaneous and confident brush strokes. Inspired by his heritage, the riot of colors, personal symbols and African textile prints all serve to infuse his canvases with both a psychological and visual vibrancy.
These painted collages by Candja are a compelling combination of cultural reflection and personal symbology. From abstracted backgrounds arise restless figures that belong to the artist’s own constructed mythology. Impulsive and aggressive gestures that reference Action Painting come together to create blurred ghosts, demonic entities, arachnids, and skeletons. An enigmatic tension arises in the work with the layering of more subtle geometrical and mathematical objects, photographs, and decorative elements taken from traditional African art and textiles. Candja Candja’s art is a contemplation on the African culture combined with a pursuit of exploring his own restless spirit.
reviews
Many artists take years to carefully create an identity as a painter; but Illídio Candja Candja merely followed his inspiration as painter, indifferent to associations and references to other contemporary artists, never forgetting his African origin.
Candja Candja is like a manufacturer who believes that his products will always be special for themselves. Painting after painting, he asserts his extraordinary creative freedom and produces a work of internal otherness to the art world without demagoguery or naïveté, influenced by what might have been his artistic training in the colourful tradition of his country. Two years after moving from Maputo (where he was born) to live in Porto, his paintings attracted the attention of many international experts.
It is important to note that Illídio Candja’s paintings are universal; the universalism of his vision lies in how he uses images of handmade objects and ancient artifacts from his African heritage. The artist includes these elements in his paintings, making use of collage in a modern context in a way that it becomes impossible to separate the collage-paintings from the artist's path.
Illídio’s painting isn’t about creating a critical position, instead it is an artistic, aesthetic and cultural practice analogous to those who are guided by intuition, starting from the premise that art invents ways of inhabiting the world. The artist invites us to inhabit his world,sharing with us things that he is sensitive to, including a remix of thoughts and ideas of the past, present and future. The African experience of Ilídio Candja has manifested as several experiments fundamental to the structure of his paintings, flickering between image and idea, identity and experience.
Colourful and exotic, the paintings of Candja transform themselves in imaginary ways presenting images of African culture and painting superimposed on abstract collage backgrounds. These paintings present a beautiful memory of African life and dreams.
Victor Pinto da Fonseca Plataforma Revólver Lisbon, September 2015
artist bio
Biografia/Biography
Born 1976 in Maputo, Mozambique.Portuguese Mozambican artist, lives and works between Maputo and Oporto, Portugal.
1997/1999 Visual Art School of Maputo, MZ.
2022 Solo exhibition Forthcoming, Galerie GAG,Bourdeux, FR.
2019 Memory and fantasy part#2 , Galeria São Mamede, Porto, PT.
Legacy, Galerie Le Sud, Zurich, CH.
2018 Nothing is Lost, Everything Becomes..Cosmos part#2, Galerie Frederic Storme,Lille,FR.
Freedom, Out of Africa Contemporary Gallery, Barcelona, ES.
Memory and fantasy , Gallery São Mamede, Lisbon, PT.
2017 Nothing is Lost, Everything Becomes..Cosmos, Hazard gallery, Joannesburg, SA.
2016 Xiluvha, Galerie Frederic Storme, Lille, FR.
African spirits, rhythm and symbolism, Gallery Rastro, Figueira da Foz, PT.
2015 The game is to survive part#2, Oliewenhuis Art Museum, Bloemfotein, SA.
Mozambique: The Dialogue Continues, GAFRA Gallery of African Art, UK.
Mahala blood/sacrífice for nothing, Plataforma Revólver, Lisbon, PT.
2014 Archive, Galerie Lumieres de Afrique, Brussels, BE.
2013 Invictus, Unix Gallery, New York City, USA.
2012 Processes, constantly evolving…paints and paintings, Bozart Gallery, Lisbon, PT.
The game is to survive, Galerie Gree-t-room, Hamburg, DE. (catalog.)
Ya, snene of life, Galerie Rammlmair, Hannover, DE.
2011 Black people reincarnation, Aparte Gallery, Oporto, PT. (catalog.)
2010 Metamorphoses, Ikon gallery, Braga, PT.
African Remix, 9art gallery, Lisbon, PT.
2009 New paintings, Vitória gallery, Bragança, PT.
2008 Trips in an imaginary World, Ikon Gallery, Braga, PT.
2007 Fragments of the past, Silva Guerreiro art gallery, Almancil, PT. (catalog.)
Indian dreams, House Museum Bissaya Barreto, Coimbra, PT. (catalog.)
Maze, Art Space João Pedro Rodrigues, Oporto, PT.
2006 Tariff betwen zoology and lyricism, Belo Belo gallery, Braga, PT.
2005 Vertical thinking, Camões Maputo Institute, MZ.
A look at my land, wood, flavor and zinc, Municipal Auditorium of vila de Conde, PT.
2004 Colorfull challenges-dreams, Belo Belo Gallery, Braga, PT.
2003 Samples 15 days, Fortress of Maputo, MZ.
2002 A gesture a smaile, Meldarte, Maputo, MZ.
Group exhibitions
2020 Summer exhibition, Galeria São Mamede, Lisbon, PT.
African Art, Museum Miramar, Sitges-Barcelona, ES. (curation by Sorella Acosta).
Arco Lisboa, Galeria Movart, Lisbon, PT.
2019 Summer group show, Out of Africa Gallery, Barcelona, ES.
Blomm:Calor, caress and seduction, Bill Lowe Gallery, Atlanta, USA.
JustLX Art fair, Gallery São Mamede, Lisbon, PT.
Street Art exhibition, Modern Art Museum, Cartagema, Murcia, ES.
JustmadX Art Fair with São Mamede Gallery, Madrid, ES.
Winter group show, Out of Africa Gallery, Sitges-Barcelona, ES.
2018 Nature redeems us, Gallery Garcia Diego, La Palma, ES.
2017 From A to C, This being B, Gallery & Warehouse Space, Manchaster, UK.
2013 Crossing the divide, Erdmann Contemporary, Cape Town, ZA.
3ºth birthday Aparte Gallery, Oporto,PT.
2012 In particular, 9art Gallery, Lisbon, PT.
2011 Pessoa(s), Ikon Gallery, Braga, PT.
2010 9 art, Catholic University of Oporto,PT.
Free enter, 9art Gallery, Lisbon,PT.
New with Julio Resende, Spontaneous color Gallery, Oporto,PT.(Catalog.)
Mitos & ritos, Ikon Gallery, Braga, PT.
35 anos da Independência de Moçambique, Galeria do Casino Estoril, PT.
2009 Myth & rites, Ikon Gallery, Braga, PT.
Roots, 9art Gallery, Lisbon, PT.
Colectiva, Saomamede Gallery, Lisbon, PT.
Ethic Urban, Ikon Gallery, Braga, PT.
Project T6+1, Mariana Jones Gallery, Oporto,PT.
2008 3 artists 3 continent the same language , Municipal Gallery, Barcelos, PT.
Myths &rites, Ikon Gallery, Braga, PT.
7º birthday, Mouraria Gallery, Funchal, PT.
Moçambique-Figueira da Foz, Casino Figueira da Foz , PT. (catalog.)
Light art, Convent of San Francisco, Coimbra, PT.
2007 6º birthday, Mouraria Gallery, Funchal, PT.
2006 Bidimensionality, BCI-Fomento Library, Maputo, MZ.(catalog.)
Small format, Mouraria Gallery, Funchal, PT.
2005 Bienal TDM, National Art Museum , Maputo, PT.(catalog)