MEET
Amadeo Carvalho
Amadeo Carvalho (b. 1985, São Vicente, Cape Verde) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work reflects a profound inquiry into identity, migration, memory, and self-reinvention. Raised in the streets of Cova, Monte Sossego, his passion for drawing began early — instinctive sketches that would, unknowingly, outline the contours of his future as a visual storyteller.
After emigrating to Portugal, Amadeo’s creative potential was first recognised at Seomara da Costa Primo Secondary School under the mentorship of artist Mário Rita. Though initially pursuing design and later music — performing for eight years under the name DJ The Grooveman — it was fatherhood and a life-altering accident that redirected him back to painting. Encouraged by his partner Érica Silva, he reclaimed painting as a vital mode of healing and reconnection.
Amadeo’s return to art began in a modest garage studio, following a physically and emotionally demanding period in London’s hospitality industry, where he worked as a sous-chef. This experience fed his creative vision, enriching his understanding of resilience, rhythm, and transformation.
Today, Amadeo balances his work as a visual artist with his role as Creative Director of Noboh Kulture, a brand that explores fashion as a vessel of cultural memory and diasporic identity. His practice is marked by expressive portraits, layered textures, and compositions that channel personal history into universal form.
He has exhibited at significant cultural spaces, including the São Tomé Biennale (2024), CCM – Mindelo Cultural Centre (Cape Verde, 2023), and CCCV – Lisbon’s Cape Verdean Cultural Centre (2023), positioning him as a vital voice in the emerging landscape of contemporary African and diaspora art.
