b. 6 June 1936, Matalana (Marracuene District), Mozambique | d. 2011, Matosinhos, Portugal Lived and worked in Mozambique Malangatana Valente Ngwenya was a celebrated Mozambican painter, poet, sculptor, and cultural activist known primarily by his first name, Malangatana. Born in a rural village, he spent his youth in mission schools and working on his mother’s farm before moving to Lourenço Marques (now Maputo) at age 12. There, working as a ball boy at a tennis club, he took evening art classes and met mentors who encouraged his talent and facilitated his artistic development. By the late 1950s, Malangatana had begun exhibiting widely—joining the Núcleo de Arte in 1958 and mounting his first solo exhibition in 1961. His work fused traditional Makonde aesthetics, surrealist imagery, and vibrant expression to depict themes ranging from Mozambican cultural identity to the struggle for independence. A committed advocate of his nation’s freedom, he also contributed large-scale murals for FRELIMO and UNESCO, and played a foundational role in establishing cultural institutions in Mozambique. His accolades include being named a UNESCO Artist for Peace in 1997 and receiving the Prince Claus Award. In 2010, he obtained a Doctorate honoris causa from the University of Évora. Malangatana passed away in Portugal in 2011, yet his legacy endures as one of the most influential voices in modern African art.