Ilídio Candja Candja

Mozambique

"Ilídio Candja Candja’s work unfolds as an ongoing inquiry into individual and collective memory, with a strong focus on reimagining Afro-centric futures. Though he did not live through colonial rule, he intricately weaves its legacy into his visual language, exploring how past histories shape contemporary identities and speculative possibilities.

Influenced by Abstract Expressionism and Action Painting, his compositions are energetic and layered, marked by bold gestures, vibrant colour fields, African textile references, and a personal symbolic vocabulary. His canvases become spaces where memory, mythology, and material culture converge.

Candja Candja’s painted collages bring together spectral figures, mathematical structures, photographs, and traditional motifs. This interplay creates a visual tension between abstraction and form, reflection and rupture. His work invites viewers into a rich inner world — at once personal and political, historical and visionary.
"

MEET

Ilídio Candja Candja

Born in 1976 in Maputo, Mozambique, Ilídio Candja Candja studied at the National School of Visual Arts in his hometown before relocating to Porto, Portugal, where he deepened his artistic practice.

FROM OUR BLOGUE
Global Media: The World is Watching Afrikanizm

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

Commision An Artwork
By This Artist

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