Francisco Vidal, (Lisbon, 1978). A renowned artist in contemporary art, Vidal identifies himself as being Portuguese, Angolan and Cape Verdean, and his origins are clearly present in his work.

He expresses himself through drawing, sculpture and installations, but it is his painting technique with strong colours and striking features that stands out the most. In his large studio, populated by so many works that make up his artistic identity, creativity flows when exploring paintings on unlikely materials such as machetes. The artist presents an original side, inventive and always attentive to detail that conquers his admirers.

In an interview with World African Artists United, Vidal spoke about his professional past and perspectives for the near future, touched on the themes of race, difference and blackness that often serve as a motto for his projects, as well as the references that he brings from the past and the living icons he sees around him. The artist also gave his opinion on the recognition of African cultural expression in the artistic sphere.

He graduated in Plastic Arts at the School of Arts and Design of Caldas da Rainha and does an advanced course in Visual Arts at the Maumaus School of Visual Arts in Lisbon. He lived for some time in New York while taking a master’s degree in Fine Arts at the School of Visual Arts at Columbia University. The contact with different schools can be seen in the philosophy and traits that Vidal uses in his paintings.

He participated in the 56th Venice Biennale at the Angola Pavilion with his project “Utopia Luanda Machine”. His numerous works and projects include “ESCOLA DE PAPEL” presented in São Tomé and Príncipe, “Still Free” at the Cape Verde Cultural Centre, and “Água e Luz” at the Portuguese Cultural Centre in Luanda. His portfolio includes collections exhibited in renowned foundations such as Fundação EDP, Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian, and Fundação Cachola.