Description
Simbraz was born in Zambezia, specifically in the district of Milange, in Mozambique, in 1992. A multifaceted painter, he comes across as a tireless scrutiniser of what is happening around him, also being a natural-born observer of human nature. He can paint with openness, evident in the colours and the expansive spatiality, while imparting to environments the mark of tragedy, drama, horror, or despair. And he does so without yielding, in both cases.
He depicts the streets, women's dramas, traditions, and also delves into unravelling the mysteries of painting itself - immersing himself in the primitive world while echoing atmospheres with a Magrittean touch. Although his colour palette is broad and variable, aligning with his identity as a multifaceted painter, one can clearly detect a foundational principle of darkness. Such darkness introduces us to a personality in inner turmoil, as if his senses, all five of them, were permanently active and triggered at every opportunity to capture, through painting, the resonances of the streets, people, and things. His creations show an affinity with street art.
Works
2022, Matosinhos
acrylic on canvas120 x 100 cm
"A Casa do Pescador" (The Fisherman's House), a painting Simbraz created in Matosinhos during his artistic residency in 2022, looks like the perfect setting for one of Alfred Hitchcock's films. Filmic, cinematic, intense, interior, choreographic even in the emotions it brings out in us.
2021, Maputo
acrylic on canvas 88 x 99 cm
In this representation, Simbraz illustrates his childhood: happy children, his friends. This personal universe reflects a collective reality - the liveliness of children playing happily on the streets of Maputo.
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Biography
1992 – Milange, Mozambique
Visual Artist – Painting
Simbraz Roberto Invez Sequesene, better known as Simbraz, was born on 6 June 1992 in Zambézia, in the district of Milange, Mozambique.
It was in Milange that he began his studies and developed a passion for the arts. However, it was in Namarrói that Simbraz completed his twelfth grade and created his first work of art for the institute he was attending, thus gaining some recognition.
In order to support himself and purchase the materials needed for his paintings, Simbraz took on various jobs to save up and raise some money to pursue his aspirations.
With a more distinctive style and production process, the hallmark of his work is the use of acrylics on canvas. In pursuit of his dream to establish himself as an artist, he decided to move to the city of Maputo in 2013.
In 2020, Simbraz Roberto joined the famous "Núcleo dos Artistas de Mozambique" (Mozambique Art Centre). In 2021, faced with the challenges brought about by the pandemic, Simbraz walked 6 kilometres every day to showcase and promote some of his artworks, aiming to generate income to support his wife and two children.
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2023 – O Denominador Comum (A Common Denominator), Manoeuvre Gallery, Portugal
WORKSHOPS
2023 – Art Marathon, 5th Gaia International Art Biennale, Lever - Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal
2022 – Momentum Mozambique Artist Residency, Matosinhos, Portugal
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023 – 5th Gaia International Art Biennale, Portugal
2022 – Momentum Mozambique, Manoeuvre Gallery, Portugal | Manimalia, Manoeuvre Gallery, Portugal
Exhibitions
Interview
Video
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2022, Matosinhos
acrylic on canvas120 x 100 cm