Joana Taya

Angola

"For Taya, each artwork explores the human condition, balancing inner emotions with external realities. Her art reflects the complexity of human experience, capturing both personal and universal nuances. Through her work, she invites viewers to engage in introspection, offering a lens into the emotional landscapes that connect and differentiate us."

MEET

Joana Taya

Taya is a contemporary Angolan artist, educator, and graphic designer born in Lobito, Angola, and currently based in Lisbon, Portugal. Her multifaceted practice bridges figurative abstraction, African identity, and expressive design, reflecting a rich personal and cultural narrative shaped by migration, memory, and emotion.

With a BA (Honours) in Graphic Design and a Master’s degree specialising in Expressive Typography, Taya blends academic design expertise with a deeply intuitive visual language. Her paintings explore self-identity, emotional states, and social context, fusing geometric structure and organic forms to express complex inner worlds.

Exhibitions such as Precious Shadows (Espaço Luanda Arte, 2023) and Musas (Camões Cultural Centre, 2022) have affirmed her position in the growing wave of African women artists redefining the global art scene. Her work resonates with philosophical depth, engaging with themes of introspection, cultural duality, and the female experience.

Beyond her personal practice, Taya teaches Art & Design (IGCSE and A-Level) in Lisbon, nurturing the next generation of visual thinkers. She is also a key voice in Angolan art curation, co-leading JAANGO – Jovens Artistas Angolanos, a platform supporting emerging Angolan talents and reframing contemporary African visual culture.

Through her paintings, teaching, and curatorial efforts, Taya uses visual storytelling to foster dialogue, reflection, and cultural empowerment, offering a powerful voice within the diasporic African art community.

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