Hélio Buite

Angola

Photography, Video and Installation by Hélio Buite

Contemporary Angolan Art and Post-Colonial Memory

Fine Art Collectors and African Conceptual Artists

"Hélio Buite is a multidisciplinary artist whose career in Luanda has been marked by a constant navigation between two distinct contexts: informal Luanda and formal Luanda."

MEET

Hélio Buite

Hélio Buite is a multidisciplinary Angolan artist based in Luanda, whose work intersects photography, video, installation, audio, and archival documentation. Navigating the tension between informal and formal Luanda, Buite explores the sociopolitical complexities of Angola through a critical lens rooted in post-colonial narratives and oral history.

His practice focuses on the central role of family in African societies as a vessel of cultural memory, oral transmission, and resistance. By examining the legacy of colonisation, the struggles of independence movements, and the ongoing neo-colonial and civil war traumas, Hélio constructs layered and often distorted narratives that reflect the contemporary realities of urban Angola.

Through visual storytelling, Buite documents and reimagines daily life in Luanda, addressing themes of migration, informality, social division, and economic disparity. His work is a bold response to the lack of preserved “spoken history” in Angola, challenging official accounts and restoring dignity to personal and collective memory.

With an ever-evolving interdisciplinary approach, Hélio Buite is part of a rising generation of contemporary African artists whose practice embodies the urgent need to archive, question, and reframe African identity in a globalised world.

FROM OUR BLOGUE
Afrikanizm Art Expands Globally Through Strategic Gallery Partnerships

Afrikanizm Art, the Luso‑Angolan platform for contemporary African and Afro‑diasporic art, has formalised partnerships with galleries in the United States, Europe, Africa, and Asia. These alliances will integrate gallery networks with Afrikanizm’s digital platform, amplify artists’ reach, and support collaborative exhibitions. It's a bold step in positioning Black art not on the margins, but at the centre of the global art market.


Continue Reading
Abidjan’s New Wave: Young Artists Shaping Ivory Coast’s Creative Future

Abidjan is experiencing a vibrant artistic renaissance, fuelled by new galleries, residencies and state funding. A “new wave” of artists — from Carl-Edouard Keïta’s revival of Goumbé traditions to Mimi Brignon’s urban collages, Adjoba Marie’s surrealist self-portraits, Massa-Chula’s powerful mask reinterpretations, and Angelo N’Guessan’s street murals — is reshaping Ivory Coast’s cultural identity. Together, they place Abidjan at the forefront of Contemporary African Art and the global conversation on Black Art.

Continue Reading
Rethinking a Colonial Legacy: Dr El Hadji Malick Ndiaye’s Mission to Decolonise Dakar’s Museum

At the heart of Dakar, a quiet but radical transformation is underway. Dr El Hadji Malick Ndiaye, curator of the Théodore Monod Museum of African Art, is leading a profound effort to decolonise an institution built for colonisers. Through critical reinterpretation, artistic collaboration, and cultural activism, he is reframing the museum not as a place of frozen pasts, but as a living, breathing space of African knowledge, pride, and imagination.

Continue Reading
Forbes África Lusófona Highlights Afrikanizm’s Model for Building the African Art Economy

In an op-ed for Forbes África Lusófona, João Boavida, founder of Afrikanizm Art, lays out a bold new vision for African art. He argues that the future lies not in charity, but in structure, visibility, and fair opportunity. Through a model grounded in equity, mentorship, and sustainable growth, Afrikanizm Art is helping transform African artists from overlooked talents into central players in the global market.

Continue Reading
Getty Foundation Invests $2.6M in Unearthing Black Art History

The Getty Foundation has awarded $2.6 million to expand its Black Visual Arts Archives initiative, empowering 12 U.S. institutions—libraries, museums, and universities—to catalogue, digitise, and bring Black art histories into public view. This multi-year commitment spotlights previously overlooked collections, transforming archives into dynamic cultural touchpoints and promoting long-overdue visibility for Black artists and institutions.

Continue Reading

Commision An Artwork
By This Artist

We can arrange and oversee the creation of a new work made specifically for you