Badiatu David

Angola

"Badiatu David’s work explores the complex interplay between identity, memory, and human emotion. Through a blend of figurative and abstract elements, he creates visually compelling pieces that invite introspection."

MEET

Badiatu David

Badiatu David is an Angolan visual artist whose deeply expressive work serves as a vessel for emotional and spiritual reflection. Although he entered the public exhibition space later in his career, his distinctive artistic voice has already attracted the attention of collectors across Africa and Europe. His paintings are known for their ability to evoke silence, memory, and interiority — engaging viewers in a visual dialogue with the self.

David holds an academic degree in Human Sciences from the Instituto Médio de Economia de Luanda (I.M.E.L.), and received his artistic formation through the Rui de Matos Foundation (ARM) and at the Atelier of the renowned Angolan artist Mawete. These experiences provided both a technical foundation and a philosophical grounding that continue to inform his practice today.

His art is characterised by its introspective nature — often drawing from personal experience, historical resonance, and the layered textures of everyday Angolan life. Working primarily in painting and mixed media, David explores themes of identity, memory, silence, and transformation, using the canvas as a space for both self-revelation and collective questioning.

Badiatu David’s work has been featured in several important group exhibitions in Angola, including a recent showcase at the Memorial Dr. António Agostinho Neto, held in celebration of the centenary of Uanhenga Xitu, one of Angola’s most revered literary and political figures.

2019 — Dom4, Ar-ma Galeria, Alvalade, Angola

2018 — Escultura e Pintura, Shopping Fortaleza, Baía de Luanda, Angola

2018 — Escravos XXI, Ar-ma Galeria, Alvalade, Angola

2018 — Arte e Rua: Encontros e Desencontros, Centro Cultural do Brasil em Angola

2024 — Centenary of Uanhenga Xitu, Memorial Dr. António Agostinho Neto, Luanda

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