Mozambican Makonde sculpture

Art, resistance and cultural transformation

Authors

Abstract

This article derives from a master’s research project completed in 2023, which focused on the analysis of anthropological and ethnocultural elements of the Makonde people, located in Mozambique, on the African continent, as well as on the investigation of the aesthetic dimension of their sculptural production. Makonde sculpture constitutes a symbol of resistance during the period of Portuguese colonial oppression, as it played a crucial role in financing the fight for Mozambique's independence. Its originality was also fundamental to the strengthening of the country's nationalist movement. This analysis aims to enrich and disseminate a decolonial and unique perspective on the art of the African continent, going beyond ethnic-racial relations, to resignify elements of African and Afro-Brazilian culture in the Brazilian educational context. Keywords: Art; Education; Makonde Sculpture; Africa; Mozambique.

Author Biography

Evelyn Magalhães de Oliveira, Unicamp - Universidade Estadual de Campinas

Pedagogy, PhD and Master's student in Art and Education, from the Faculty of Education - Unicamp. I work as an educator at the City Hall of Campinas. My research aims to investigate the aesthetic production of the sculptural art of the Makonde People of Mozambique Africa, based on law 10.639/03. I am a research member of the Laboratory of Research in Sociology of Art (LAISA) and the Laboratory of Audiovisual Studies (OLHO) - Faculty of Education / Unicamp.

Published

2025-08-07