Bertina Lopes cultivated a distinctive body of work intimately intertwined with her political activism and social critique. Often blending formal and Constructive elements from European art circles with a visuality associated with the African continent, the artist transformed her canvas into a means of expressing freedom, both personally and in response to the repressive situation in her home country. Lopes’s works are characterised by intricate compositions of different perspectives and volumes arranged on the same plane. The Cubist influence becomes evident, albeit marked by her strong personal gesture, as she combines masks with totems, forming shapes that evoke dance movements created with bold brushstrokes. Not uncommonly, the artist incorporates straw, feathers, and coloured fabrics into her works. Her Totem draws inspiration from Nyau ceremonies and Tufo dances – local traditions in Mozambique that were scorned during the colonial period. These influences reinforce her sense of being a foreigner in Italy while maintaining a strong connection to her Mozambican heritage.
This is the first time the work of Bertina Lopes is presented at Biennale Arte.
—Amanda Carneiro
