Colour and freedom in the work of Francisco Vidal

Colour and freedom in the work of Francisco Vidal

Gameli Hamelo

Born in Lisbon, Portugal, to Angolan and Cape Verdean parents, Francisco Vidal draws from personal and national history alike, while exploring the legacies of Portuguese colonialism in both Angola and Cape Verde.

The artist examines history, identity, and culture through his vibrant paintings and drawings, characterised by the energetic use of colour and pattern on handmade paper or canvas. Vidal’s works, often assembled into larger installations, are a mix of influences, from cubism and African wax-print textiles to 1980s hip-hop culture, contemporary graffiti, and street art. A common theme in his work is the effects of exploitative labour practices, conflict, and violence.

Vidal’s works contain slogans referencing colonial, historical, and political issues, including violence and labour. ‘KATINGA I [THE BODY ODOUR I]’ (2016) is perhaps a statement on the demand of labourers, who are often paid relatively low wages despite their significant contributions to the economies of their home countries.

His large-scale portraits are made up of layered sheets of hand-made paper, a nod to them being both personal objects and paintings. This can be seen in works such as ‘FIRE I’ (2016), ‘FIRE III’ (2016), ‘FIRE—BEIJO TIGRE [FIRE—TIGER KISS]’ (2016), ‘SAGRADA FAMILIA [SACRED FAMILY]’ 2016, ‘UNTITLED’ (2015), and ‘NAM’ (2016), which are all acrylic and oil paintings on self-made recycled paper.

'I really like studying colour, I’m always experimenting with colour, and modelling with colour because it is a big world,' Vidal said in an interview with Zet Gallery. [1] 'Painting is always more experimental, and drawing is always the structure that allows colour to go in the direction of the dream, so drawing keeps my feet on the ground and the colour gives me a bit of heaven. Black gives experience. Colour gives freedom.'

‘MAKA’ (2018), features a portrait embedded in an otherwise abstract oil-on-canvas painting by the artist. The work showcases a dreamy image of a seemingly benevolent character ‘floating’ on a background of various vibrant colours including white, red, orange, green, and blue. It gives off a sense of the future or a different world, perhaps devoid of violence, and kinder to everyone, irrespective of status.

Vidal’s artworks explore the diaspora experience, bringing together stories and identities born from his cross-cultural heritage. These works delve into colonial legacies, focusing on the repercussions of labour practices, conflict, and violence, as seen in his ‘Variation’ works (2015). The series of paintings appear to be flowers but are cotton plants painted on machete blades. These paintings reference the 1961 Baixa de Cassanje labour revolt in the cotton-producing region of Angola where workers asking for better working conditions were violently suppressed. The event is considered the beginning of Angola’s fight for independence from Portugal. The work was featured in Vidal’s first UK solo Workshop Maianga Mutamba. 

Vidal’s career began earlier than most. He took drawing lessons at Palacio Anjos in Alges, Lisbon, which offered classes in ballet, music, drawing, and painting, providing a space for young people to spend their time. It became the starting point for what would become his career when he studied at other schools, including the National Society of Fine Arts, Caldas da Rainha for a sculpture degree, a post-degree at the Maumaus School of Visual Arts in Lisbon, and a Master’s Degree in painting at Columbia University in New York. Speaking about his studies, Vidal says:

School served [as a space] to experiment and to have a spirit of experimentation, which is what I do here in the studio, experimenting with various techniques, although drawing is the basis of all the composition that happens in painting, which is the discipline that I work [towards] more and in my adventures through sculpture, printing and design, too [2]

He considers painting a 'wonderful world’, one in which individuals develop their poetry without borders or nationalities. Outside of his practice, Vidal has co-founded e-Studio Luanda, a Luanda-based artist collective, project space, and studio complex credited with helping grow the city’s arts scene through its programming, which includes exhibitions and arts education. 

Art is sometimes considered a respite from what is happening in the world, but it is also an avenue that ensures that we don’t forget history, no matter how horrific. This is just one of the functions of Vidal’s practice. His work reflects his thoughts on political dissent, worker struggles, and social revolution and, through his unique visual language, allows us to reflect on these things, too.

Vidal continues to share observations about the complexities of identity, culture, and history through his practice, a deft fusion of his African heritage, influences, and Western art education. 

Endnotes:

[1] Zet Gallery. 2020. “Francisco Vidal | zet gallery”. YouTube (8 April): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVdmndzEq1k.

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[2] World African Artists United. 2022. “Interview with Francisco Vidal | WAAU – World African Artists United”. YouTube (15 September): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LbSC45qOOHw

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Cover artwork: Francisco Vidal, MAKA, 2018. Oil on canvas, 118 × 180.5 cm

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