Luís Damião Angola, b. 1978
Overview
Luís Damião is best known for his photography work, which integrates a strong component of research and experimentation. Namely, the artist focuses on developing unconventional production and presentation methods, integrating a generation of emerging artists whose new perspectives around traditional compositions are highly influenced by the age of digital technology and image manipulation.
Aesthetically, his constructions often refer to the universe of documentary photography, but simultaneously to an elaborate staging of the images. This performative aspect of his work results in the recurring fading of the border between what is real - documental - and what is fiction and is often used to emphasize proposals for reflection on the social and political experiences of Luanda’s urban context.
Luís Damião was born into a family with strong artistic roots, his father Paulino Damião (Kota 50) being a photographer and photojournalist, and his brother Lino Damião, also an artist. Influenced and incentivized by his family, he was early involved in the art world as an autodidact. Later on, he attended the Visual Arts course at the former Barracão, organized by the Swedish Embassy in Angola, and in 2002, presented himself publicly for the first time. Since then, he has been exhibiting and collaborating on cultural projects regularly.
In 2020, his work “Coronavírus” was awarded the special prize of photography and the Alliance Française Prize – Ensa Arte 2020, in Luanda. As part of this award, Damião took part in an artistic residency in Paris in 2021, funded by the Embassy of France. In the same year, he completed two other artistic residencies: in Lisbon, supported by THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE Art Gallery, and in Porto, by d’O INSTITUTO. Furthermore, in the context of AKKA – Art & Design Fair 2021, the book “À rebrousse-temps” - which includes an essay devoted to Damião’s artistic production by the curator Dénètem Touam - was launched.
Works
Exhibitions
EMBODIED NARRATIVES
International group show21 May - 13 July 2024The show explores a wide variety of media, including painting, ceramics, photography and installation, and encapsulates a growing trend in contemporary African art, which emphasizes figuration and portraiture as vehicles...Read moreNATUREZA VICIADA
Solo Show by Luís Damião14 December 2023 - 16 February 2024We are pleased to present: 'Natureza Viciada' , a solo exhibition by the photographer Luís Damião. With a curatorial text by Graça Rodrigues and Jamil 'Parasol' Osmar, the exhibition stems...Read moreBEYOND BOUNDARIES
GROUP SHOW25 October 2023 - 9 February 2024With works by Cristiano Mangovo, Gonçalo Mabunda, Luís Damião, Nelo Teixeira, Rómulo Santa Rita, Uólofe Griot and Samuel Nnorom, the exhibition encourages the public to embark on a captivating and...Read morePARAGONE: What’s with mediums today?
INTERNATIONAL GROUP SHOW26 May - 20 August 2023The PARAGONE exhibition offers a guided tour program that promotes the rediscovery in three stages of a historical heritage—unknown to many—linked to the city of Lisbon’s water supply: Cape Verde...Read moreUNTITLED 3
Group Show: Banco Económico Gallery4 May - 23 June 2023The third edition of the group show 'UNTITLED 3 - O Vendedor de Passados', brings together more than 50 names of national contemporary artistic production. This large-scale cultural production, held...Read morePocket Universes: The Policy of (Im)Possibilities
Group Show27 January - 31 May 2023Curated by Jamil “Parasol” Osmar, the exhibition features around 23 mostly unpublished works, through which a reflection on the notion of human interaction is proposed, particularly focusing on the moments...Read more(IM)MATERIALITY
Group Show1 October 2022 - 15 January 2023“(IM)MATERIALITY” promotes a reflection on the concepts of materiality and immateriality, highlighting works by artists from a wide variety of cultural and geographical origins, whose practices cross spatial and technical...Read more(IM)MATERIALITY
GROUP SHOW20 May - 12 August 2022The exhibition promotes a reflection on the concepts of materiality and immateriality, highlighting around 90 works by 48 artists from a wide variety of cultural and geographical origins - including...Read moreDISCOURSES OF DECOLONIALITY
Group Show: Not a Museum24 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 moreLuís Damião - Photography
Solo Show: Luís Damião18 December 2019 - 31 January 2020THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE Art Gallery presents from December 18 to January 31, 2020, a solo exhibition by the Angolan artist Luís Damião. The exhibition includes a set...Read moreIntersections - Within the Global South
Group Show: Galeria Banco Económico26 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
Art Fairs
ART FAIR LUANDA 2024
OSVALDO FERREIRA, RÓMULO SANTA RITA, LUÍS DAMIÃO, NELO TEIXEIRA, BENIGNO MANGOVO & PEDRO PIRES19 - 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...Read more
African Galleries Now x Artsy 2022
Group Show: BARBARA WILDENBOER, OSVALDO FERREIRA, PATRICK BONGOY, and LUÍS DAMIÃO30 March - 17 April 2022In the 2022 edition of “African Galleries Now,” THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE Art Gallery presents unique artworksby BARBARA WILDENBOER, OSVALDO FERREIRA, PATRICK BONGOY...Read more
AKAA - Also Known As Africa 2021
Group Show: Alida Rodrigues, Barbara Wildenboer, Francisco Vidal & Luís Damião12 - 14 November 2021THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE is pleased to participate in the 6th edition of AKAA ART & DESIGN FAIR - PARIS, which takes place...Read more
African Galleries Now x Artsy 2020
Group Show: ALIDA RODRIGUES, LUÍS DAMIÃO, RENÉ TAVARES, and OSVALDO FERREIRA23 November - 13 December 2020THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE is showing a curated project with unreleased works of photography by ALIDA RODRIGUES (Angola), LUÍS DAMIÃO (Angola), and RENÉ...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
Press
Artists show collective performance at the Banco Económico gallery
Jornal O País, 28 November 2019Painting of eight countries in collective show
Mário Cohen, Jornal de Angola, 29 November 2019"Embodied Narratives"
Collective exhibition in Lisbone-cultura(IM)MATERIALITY Águeda's Art Centre
RTP, 8 October 2022(IM)MATERIALITY: NOT A MUSEUM receives international art exhibition
por VÁRIOS, VOU SAIR , 14 August 2022Águeda Arts Center hosts exhibition of more than 40 artists: a reflection on the materiality and immateriality
Comunidade Cultura e Arte, 26 September 2022Angolan artists participate in international exhibition
Roque Silva, Jornal de Angola, 24 May 2023Collective Exhibition: Intersections - Within the Global South
Juciria Rodrigues, Jornal Mercado, 2 December 2019International Contemporary Art Exhibition will be in Lisbon starting May 26
Lusa e SIC Notícias, 16 May 2023LUÍS DAMIÃO | EXHIBITES IN VILA ALICE, LUANDA
JORNAL ANGOLA, 25 December 2019Photographer Luís Damião in artistic residence in Portugal
Jornal de Angola, 12 August 2021REFLECT #2: FRAGMENTS, FRAGILITIES, MEMORIES
por VÁRIOS, Buala, 13 April 2022REFLECT #2: FRAGMENTS, FRAGILITIES, MEMORIES The Museum of African Art, Belgrade
Ana Knezevic & Emilia Epstajn, ICOM National Committee Magazine, 15 September 2022This Is NOT A White Cube e MOMO Gallery promovem exposição “Intersections – Within the Global South”
Jucíria Rodrigues, Jornal Vanguarda, 1 January 2020
Video
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 Read more
Discourses de Decoloniality
24 June - 30 September 2020 23 March 2023 Read more
PARAGONE: What's with mediums today?
Group Show 29 June 2023 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 Read more
(IM)MATERIALITY
INTERNATIONAL GROUP SHOW AT ÁGUEDA ARTS CENTER 1 October 2022 Read more
Publications
NATUREZA VICIADA | Solo Show by Luís Damião
Exhibition Catalogue 2024A4, 52 pagesRead more
Publisher: THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE
Dimensions: 297 x 210 cm
Reflect #2 - FRAGMENTS, FRAGILITIES, MEMORIES
Exhibition Catalogue by The Museum of African Art - Belgrade Ana Knežević, Emilia Epštajn, Graça Rodrigues, Sónia Ribeiro, and Marcos Jinguba, 2022Book, 104 pagesRead more
Publisher: The Museum of African Art - the Veda and Dr. Zdravko Pečar Collection
Dimensions: 210x210mm
Events
ART FAIR LUANDA 2024
OSVALDO FERREIRA, RÓMULO SANTA RITA, LUÍS DAMIÃO, NELO TEIXEIRA, BENIGNO MANGOVO & PEDRO PIRES19 - 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...Read more
Visions on Sustainability - A Journey through Art, Ethics and the Environment
ARTIST TALK AT CAMÕES - PORTUGUESE CULTURAL CENTRE, LUANDA31 January 2024THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE gallery is thrilled to invite you to an evening of art and culture with the artist Luís Damião on...Read more
COCKTAIL BACK TO CUBO
Pocket Universes: The Politics of (Im)Possibilities27 January 2023Join us for a reconnection cocktail at 'Cubo'. In an open conversation about artistic models and practices, we welcome the South African artist Malebona Maphutse,...Read moreAfrican Galleries Now x Artsy 2022
Group Show: BARBARA WILDENBOER, OSVALDO FERREIRA, PATRICK BONGOY, and LUÍS DAMIÃO30 March - 17 April 2022In the 2022 edition of “African Galleries Now,” THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE Art Gallery presents unique artworksby BARBARA WILDENBOER, OSVALDO FERREIRA, PATRICK BONGOY...Read moreAKAA - Also Known As Africa 2021
Group Show: Alida Rodrigues, Barbara Wildenboer, Francisco Vidal & Luís Damião12 - 14 November 2021THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE is pleased to participate in the 6th edition of AKAA ART & DESIGN FAIR - PARIS, which takes place...Read more
Related content
"Embodied Narratives"
e-cultura3 June 2024Read more
EMBODIED NARRATIVES
International group show21 May - 13 July 2024The show explores a wide variety of media, including painting, ceramics, photography and installation, and encapsulates a growing trend in contemporary African art, which emphasizes...Read moreART FAIR LUANDA 2024
OSVALDO FERREIRA, RÓMULO SANTA RITA, LUÍS DAMIÃO, NELO TEIXEIRA, BENIGNO MANGOVO & PEDRO PIRES19 - 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...Read moreVisions on Sustainability - A Journey through Art, Ethics and the Environment
ARTIST TALK AT CAMÕES - PORTUGUESE CULTURAL CENTRE, LUANDA31 January 2024THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE gallery is thrilled to invite you to an evening of art and culture with the artist Luís Damião on...Read moreBEYOND BOUNDARIES
VIDEO OF THE GROUP SHOW BY CRISTIANO MANGOVO, GONÇALO MABUNDA, LUÍS DAMIÃO, NELO TEIXEIRA, RÓMULO SANTA RITA, UÓLOFE GRIOT AND SAMUEL NNOROM23 January 2024Read moreNATUREZA VICIADA | Solo Show by Luís Damião
Exhibition Catalogue5 January 2024Read more
NATUREZA VICIADA
Solo Show by Luís Damião14 December 2023 - 16 February 2024We are pleased to present: 'Natureza Viciada' , a solo exhibition by the photographer Luís Damião. With a curatorial text by Graça Rodrigues and Jamil...Read more
BEYOND BOUNDARIES
GROUP SHOW25 October 2023 - 9 February 2024With works by Cristiano Mangovo, Gonçalo Mabunda, Luís Damião, Nelo Teixeira, Rómulo Santa Rita, Uólofe Griot and Samuel Nnorom, the exhibition encourages the public to...Read morePARAGONE: What's with mediums today?
Group Show29 June 2023Read more
PARAGONE: What’s with mediums today?
INTERNATIONAL GROUP SHOW26 May - 20 August 2023The PARAGONE exhibition offers a guided tour program that promotes the rediscovery in three stages of a historical heritage—unknown to many—linked to the city of...Read more
Angolan artists participate in international exhibition
Jornal de Angola24 May 2023Read more
International Contemporary Art Exhibition will be in Lisbon starting May 26
16 May 2023Read more
UNTITLED 3
Group Show: Banco Económico Gallery4 May - 23 June 2023The third edition of the group show 'UNTITLED 3 - O Vendedor de Passados', brings together more than 50 names of national contemporary artistic production....Read moreDiscourses de Decoloniality
24 June - 30 September 202023 March 2023Read moreCOCKTAIL BACK TO CUBO
Pocket Universes: The Politics of (Im)Possibilities27 January 2023Join us for a reconnection cocktail at 'Cubo'. In an open conversation about artistic models and practices, we welcome the South African artist Malebona Maphutse,...Read more
Pocket Universes: The Policy of (Im)Possibilities
Group Show27 January - 31 May 2023Curated by Jamil “Parasol” Osmar, the exhibition features around 23 mostly unpublished works, through which a reflection on the notion of human interaction is proposed,...Read more
(IM)MATERIALITY Águeda's Art Centre
RTP8 October 2022RTP interview with Katherine Sirois about the Exhibition (IM)MATERIALITY in Águeda's Art Centre - THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE by Daniel CatalãoRead more
(IM)MATERIALITY
Group Show1 October 2022 - 15 January 2023“(IM)MATERIALITY” promotes a reflection on the concepts of materiality and immateriality, highlighting works by artists from a wide variety of cultural and geographical origins, whose...Read more(IM)MATERIALITY
INTERNATIONAL GROUP SHOW AT ÁGUEDA ARTS CENTER1 October 2022Read more
Águeda Arts Center hosts exhibition of more than 40 artists: a reflection on the materiality and immateriality
Comunidade Cultura e Arte26 September 2022Read more
REFLECT #2: FRAGMENTS, FRAGILITIES, MEMORIES The Museum of African Art, Belgrade
ICOM National Committee Magazine15 September 2022Read moreReflect #2 - FRAGMENTS, FRAGILITIES, MEMORIES
Exhibition Catalogue by The Museum of African Art - Belgrade31 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...Read more
(IM)MATERIALITY: NOT A MUSEUM receives international art exhibition
VOU SAIR 14 August 2022Read more(IM)MATERIALITY
international art exhibition1 July 2022Read moreArt can help to overcome the post-colonial Portugal-Africa stigmas
Interview with Graça Rodrigues and João Paulo Sacadura6 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
GROUP SHOW20 May - 12 August 2022The exhibition promotes a reflection on the concepts of materiality and immateriality, highlighting around 90 works by 48 artists from a wide variety of cultural...Read more
REFLECT #2: FRAGMENTS, FRAGILITIES, MEMORIES
Buala13 April 2022Read moreAfrican Galleries Now x Artsy 2022
Group Show: BARBARA WILDENBOER, OSVALDO FERREIRA, PATRICK BONGOY, and LUÍS DAMIÃO30 March - 17 April 2022In the 2022 edition of “African Galleries Now,” THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE Art Gallery presents unique artworksby BARBARA WILDENBOER, OSVALDO FERREIRA, PATRICK BONGOY...Read moreAKAA - Also Known As Africa 2021
Group Show: Alida Rodrigues, Barbara Wildenboer, Francisco Vidal & Luís Damião12 - 14 November 2021THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE is pleased to participate in the 6th edition of AKAA ART & DESIGN FAIR - PARIS, which takes place...Read more
Photographer Luís Damião in artistic residence in Portugal
Jornal de Angola12 August 2021Read moreAfrican Galleries Now x Artsy 2020
Group Show: ALIDA RODRIGUES, LUÍS DAMIÃO, RENÉ TAVARES, and OSVALDO FERREIRA23 November - 13 December 2020THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE is showing a curated project with unreleased works of photography by ALIDA RODRIGUES (Angola), LUÍS DAMIÃO (Angola), and RENÉ...Read more
DISCOURSES OF DECOLONIALITY
Group Show: Not a Museum24 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...Read moreARCO 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
This Is NOT A White Cube e MOMO Gallery promovem exposição “Intersections – Within the Global South”
Jornal Vanguarda1 January 2020Read more
LUÍS DAMIÃO | EXHIBITES IN VILA ALICE, LUANDA
JORNAL ANGOLA25 December 2019Read more
Luís Damião - Photography
Solo Show: Luís Damião18 December 2019 - 31 January 2020THIS IS NOT A WHITE CUBE Art Gallery presents from December 18 to January 31, 2020, a solo exhibition by the Angolan artist Luís Damião....Read more
Collective Exhibition: Intersections - Within the Global South
Jornal Mercado2 December 2019Read more
Painting of eight countries in collective show
Jornal de Angola29 November 2019Read more
Artists show collective performance at the Banco Económico gallery
Jornal O País28 November 2019Read more
Intersections - Within the Global South
Group Show: Galeria Banco Económico26 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...Read more