Nelo Teixeira Angola, b. 1975
Overview
Nelo Teixeira creates unique paintings and installations based on various materials, such as paper, wood, fabric, and other found objects that constitute the waste of contemporary society’s consumer culture. The reuse of such materials functions as a direct reference to the culture and tradition of his own country - where is common to see the incorporation of objects found in uncertain places - but also to new cultural rhythms and dissonant social voices. In this context, scrapyards, beaches, and streets are understood as environments to be researched and explored, and simultaneously, as a source of raw materials, where artists foster and develop a concept of “frame” that "desacralizes" the art object.
Drawing from this understanding of urban landscape as a visual and conceptual framework, Nelo Teixeira critically explores the concept of borders - physical and psychological - between Chicala (urban ghetto) and the city under construction, questioning its development.
Nelo Teixeira is a self-taught artist. At a very young age, he was introduced to the visuality and materiality of sculpture by his uncle, who was a sculptor himself. He then worked as a carpenter and scenographer during his 20s, having participated in the production of several movie and theatre sets, such as “Na Cidade Vazia”, “O Herói”, “Ponto de Encontro” and “As Bondosas.” Highly influenced by these experiences working closely with painting and other visual artists, Nelo decided to pursue a career as an artist and, in 1993, completed Angola’s National Union of Artists’ (UNAP) painting and sculpture workshops.
Exhibiting regularly since 2000, Nelo’s work was presented in relevant spaces, such as the Museum of Natural History (Luanda, Angola), the Galeria Banco Económico (Luanda, Angola) and Not a Museum (Lisbon, Portugal). Furthermore, his work was featured in the Angolan Pavillon at the 2015 Venice Biennale.
Exhibitions and Projects include Discourses of Decoloniality, Not a Museum, Lisbon (2020), Intersections – Within the Global South, Galeria Banco Económico, Luanda (2019), Intersections by This is Not a White Cube and Banco Economico, Spaces In Between, Old Palace, Lisbon (2019), Nelo Teixeira: NotBok – Conglomeration in Space and Memories, Galeria Banco Económico, Luanda (2016), Venice Biennale, Angolan Pavilion, Venice, Italy (2015), JAANGO – Jovens Artistas Angolanos, 2nd edition, Museum of Natural History, Luanda (2013), Ponte Cultural Angola – Israel, project and group show (2013).
Works
Exhibitions
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BEYOND BOUNDARIES
GROUP SHOW: Cristiano Mangovo, Gonçalo Mabunda, Luís Damião, Nelo Teixeira, Rómulo Santa Rita, Uólofe Griot and Samuel Nnorom 25 October 2023 - 9 February 2024We are pleased to present the group exhibition 'Beyond Boundaries'. With works by Cristiano Mangovo, Gonçalo Mabunda, Luís Damião, Nelo Teixeira, Rómulo Santa Rita, Uólofe Griot and Samuel Nnorom, the...Read more -
RESCUE OP
Group Show: Ana Silva, Bento Oliveira, Cristiano Mangovo, Gonçalo Mabunda, Micaela Fikoff and Nelo Teixeira 5 May - 24 June 2023Rescue Op, c urated by Katherine Sirois, is an initiative of P28 - Association for Creative and Artistic Development, in partnership with Carpe Diem Art and Research Association, and presents...Read more -
(IM)MATERIALITY
Group Show: Águeda's Art Center 1 October 2022 - 15 January 2023Following the success achieved during the presentation in Lisbon, and at the invitation of Águeda's Municipality, the exhibition (IM)MATERIALITY will itinerate to Águeda Arts Center in October. “(IM)MATERIALITY” promotes a...Read more -
(IM)MATERIALITY
GROUP SHOW: Not a Museum 20 May - 12 August 2022'(IM)MATERIALITY' is curated by Graça Rodrigues, Sónia Ribeiro, Katherine Sirois, Lourenço Egreja, and Diogo Bento, and exhibits, through three distinct nuclei, a significant combination of media, ranging from painting to...Read more
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Reflect #2 - FRAGMENTS, FRAGILITIES, MEMORIES
GROUP SHOW: THE MUSEUM OF AFRICAN ART, BELGRADE (SERBIA) 13 April - 31 August 2022The exhibition 'Reflect#2 - FRAGMENTS, FRAGILITIES, MEMORIES,' held at the Museum of African Art in Belgrade (Serbia) in collaboration with THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE Art Gallery, contains carefully...Read more -
DISCOURSES OF DECOLONIALITY
Group Show: Not a Museum 24 June - 30 September 2020THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE art gallery, in partnership with Not A Museum - Art Mexto, presents the exhibition “Discourses of Decoloniality'. It will be on display between June...Read more -
Intersections - Within the Global South
Group Show: Galeria Banco Económico 26 November 2019 - 16 January 2020THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE art gallery, the Banco Económico, and the South African Gallery MOMO, present, in Luanda: “Intersections - Within the Global South”. The exhibition puts in...Read more -
SPACES IN BETWEEN
Group Show: Old Palace 17 - 28 May 2019Installed in a palace in 'ruins' in downtown Lisbon, the exhibition aims to reinforce the participation of THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE at ARCO Lisboa 2019, whose focus will...Read more
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SER.CIDADE
Group Show, Banco Económico Gallery 21 June - 27 July 2018 -
Representation of the Human Figure in Angola
Group Show, Banco Económico Gallery 10 March - 14 April 2017A Exposição, que representa cerca de 60 artistas angolanos em 89 obras de arte (pintura, escultura, fotografia, instalação e vídeo), comporta ainda uma secção dedicada a outros meios de expressão...Read more -
Nelo Teixeira: Not Bok - Conglomeration in space and memories
Solo Show by Nelo Teixeira, Banco Económico Gallery 18 November 2016 - 12 January 2017The solo exhibition of the artist Nelo Teixeira, “Not Bok: Conglomeration in space and memories” will be open to the public from November 18th until 12th January 2017, at the...Read more
Art Fairs
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ART FAIR LUANDA 2024
OSVALDO FERREIRA, RÓMULO SANTA RITA, LUÍS DAMIÃO, NELO TEIXEIRA, BENIGNO MANGOVO & PEDRO PIRES 19 - 21 April 2024Through this project, 'DISCURSOS DE COLONIALIDADE', the gallery aims to generate a dialogue among six Angolan artists reflecting on the concept of decoloniality and seeking...Read more -
ARCO Lisboa 2021
Group Show: Dagmar Van Weeghel, Francisco Vidal, Nelo Teixeira, Patrick Bongoy, Pedro Pires, and René Tavares 13 - 19 September 2021The International Contemporary Art Fair ARCO LISBOA 2021 runs in an online format, due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. THIS IS NOT A...Read more -
1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair London 2020
Group Show: Alida Rodrigues, Nelo Teixeira, Pedro Pires, and Patrick Bongoy 8 - 10 October 2020For 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair - London 2020, This Is Not a White Cube presents a curatorial project connecting unreleased artworks by 4 contemporary...Read more -
ARCO Lisboa 2020
Group Show: Januário Jano, Patrick Bongoy, Pedro Pires, Nelo Teixeira, Gonçalo Mabunda, Luís Damião, and René Tavares 20 May - 14 June 2020For ARCO Art Fair 2020, This Is Not a White Cube presents a project connecting unreleased artworks by 7 contemporary artists from Angola, Mozambique, DRC,...Read more
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Cape Town Art Fair 2020
Group Show: Alida Rodrigues, Januario Jano, Nelo Teixeira, and René Tavares 14 - 16 February 2020THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE presents a project connecting unreleased artworks by 4 contemporary artists from Angola, São Tomé e Príncipe and its diaspora,...Read more -
Cape Town Art Fair 2019
Group Show: Cristiano Mangovo, Gonçalo Mabunda, and Nelo Teixeira 15 - 17 February 2019 -
FNB Joburg Art Fair 2018
Group Show: Ana Silva, Cristiano Mangovo, Januário Jano, and Nelo Teixeira 6 - 9 September 2018The Gallery This Is Not The White Cube (TINAWC) will be presented for the first time in the 11th Edition of the FNB Joburg Art...Read more -
AKAA - Also Known As Africa 2017
Solo Show: Nelo Teixeira 10 - 12 November 2017
Press
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Artists challenged to think about the city
Karinne Manita, Vanguarda, Hype, 22 June 2018 -
Artists show collective performance at the Banco Económico gallery
Jornal O País, 28 November 2019 -
Painting of eight countries in collective show
Mário Cohen, Jornal de Angola, 29 November 2019 -
(IM)MATERIALITY: NOT A MUSEUM receives international art exhibition
por VÁRIOS, VOU SAIR , 14 August 2022 -
Águeda Arts Center hosts exhibition of more than 40 artists: a reflection on the materiality and immateriality
Comunidade Cultura e Arte, 26 September 2022 -
Collective Exhibition: Intersections - Within the Global South
Juciria Rodrigues, Jornal Mercado, 2 December 2019 -
Investec Cape Town Art Fair'19: This is Not a White Cube
ART AFRICA, 13 April 2019 -
NELO TEIXEIRA: NOT BOK - CONGLOMERATION IN SPACE AND MEMORIES
Zimbo, Cooltura, 18 November 2016 -
Nelo Teixeira: The Art of Converting Garbage into Art
Nilza Rodrigues, Vanguarda, Hype, 22 November 2016 -
REFLECT #2: FRAGMENTS, FRAGILITIES, MEMORIES
por VÁRIOS, Buala, 13 April 2022 -
REFLECT #2: FRAGMENTS, FRAGILITIES, MEMORIES The Museum of African Art, Belgrade
Ana Knezevic & Emilia Epstajn, ICOM National Committee Magazine, 15 September 2022 -
The recycled object, reused or integrated in art
Rumo -
This Is NOT A White Cube e MOMO Gallery promovem exposição “Intersections – Within the Global South”
Jucíria Rodrigues, Jornal Vanguarda, 1 January 2020 -
TINAWC PRESENTS GROUP EXHIBITION "SPACES IN BETWEEN"
e-cultura, 5 May 2019
Video
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BEYOND BOUNDARIES
VIDEO OF THE GROUP SHOW BY CRISTIANO MANGOVO, GONÇALO MABUNDA, LUÍS DAMIÃO, NELO TEIXEIRA, RÓMULO SANTA RITA, UÓLOFE GRIOT AND SAMUEL NNOROM 23 January 2024 -
Discourses de Decoloniality
24 June - 30 September 2020 23 March 2023 -
NELO TEIXEIRA: NOT BOK
Conglomeration in space and memories 3 April 2021 -
Angola Pavilion - Venice Biennale 2015
by Hugo Salvaterra 9 May 2015© Hugo Salvaterra An insight of Angola's Pavillion in the Biennale di Veneza 2015 Colorization and time-lapse by Hugo Salvaterra Editing and post-production: Filipa Gambino...Read more -
Art can help to overcome the post-colonial Portugal-Africa stigmas
Interview with Graça Rodrigues and João Paulo Sacadura 6 June 2022Interview with Graça Rodrigues, conducted by journalist João Paulo Sacadura for the Portuguese radio station 'Observador' - podcast 'Convidado Extra.' Graça Rodrigues is co-artistic director...Read more -
(IM)MATERIALITY
international art exhibition 1 July 2022 -
(IM)MATERIALITY
INTERNATIONAL GROUP SHOW AT ÁGUEDA ARTS CENTER 1 October 2022
Publications
Events
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ART FAIR LUANDA 2024
OSVALDO FERREIRA, RÓMULO SANTA RITA, LUÍS DAMIÃO, NELO TEIXEIRA, BENIGNO MANGOVO & PEDRO PIRES 19 - 21 April 2024Through this project, 'DISCURSOS DE COLONIALIDADE', the gallery aims to generate a dialogue among six Angolan artists reflecting on the concept of decoloniality and seeking...Read more -
ARCO Lisboa 2021
Group Show: Dagmar Van Weeghel, Francisco Vidal, Nelo Teixeira, Patrick Bongoy, Pedro Pires, and René Tavares 13 - 19 September 2021The International Contemporary Art Fair ARCO LISBOA 2021 runs in an online format, due to the restrictions imposed by the pandemic. THIS IS NOT A...Read more