Amadeo Carvalho

Cape Verde

"Amadeo's work is deeply autobiographical, political, and emotionally charged. Inspired by Jean-Michel Basquiat, Pablo Picasso, René Tavares, and his mentor Mário Rita, he has developed a distinct visual language where portraiture merges with text, spontaneous gesture, and raw color.

His paintings inhabit the space between past and present, invoking both personal and collective memory — with strong ties to the African diaspora, ancestral narratives, and resistance. Text is a recurring element in his work, functioning as visual outcries or intimate reflections. His use of color is intense and visceral, and the figures — often anonymous or iconic Black subjects — carry expressions that range from contemplative to confrontational.

For Amadeo, painting is not merely aesthetic — it is urgency. His process is instinctive and fast, yet intentional and profound. Every stroke, word, and face is a fragment of a broader narrative — one that speaks of lived experience, of history, and of reclaiming voice.

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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.

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