Cape Verdean Art
Cape Verdean art blends tradition and improvisation, using limited resources to express identity, history, and everyday life.
Manuel Figueira and the Cape Verdean Cultural Renaissance
Manuel Figueira was a Cape Verdean artist pioneering a unique artistic style that bridged European modernism with African aesthetics.
Tchalé Figueira: Great Wanderer Who Painted His Way Home
In the world of Tchalé Figueira, the answer is always yes. Even disasters dance. Especially the disasters. That’s the joke, the tragedy, and the whole point.
Street Art of Santa Maria: Beautiful Gallery of Murals
Thanks to Arte’d Zona and many local artists, the streets of Santa Maria became a stunningly colourful gallery of artworks. From realistic portraits and animals, through scenes from the island’s life and traditions, to abstract shape compositions, we can admire works painted by many young and older hands. On almost every street, the walls of buildings emanate a vibrant, positive energy.
Art and Crafts on Cape Verde Islands
Cape Verdean art is a quiet but expressive thread running through the islands’ cultural fabric. It is shaped by scarcity as much as by imagination — using found materials, natural pigments, recycled wood, and sea-worn objects to create works that are both resourceful and evocative. Traditional crafts such as weaving, pottery, and beadwork remain visible in everyday life, while contemporary visual artists increasingly draw on themes of migration, isolation, and identity. Murals and public sculptures, especially in urban centres like Mindelo and Praia, reflect both pride and political commentary.
Art is often unpretentious — more functional than formal — but it holds space for reflection, storytelling, and community memory. While galleries are few and institutional support is limited, Cape Verde’s artists continue to contribute to a broader Atlantic dialogue, producing work that resonates far beyond the islands.
Arte d’Zona: The New, Yoyful Colours of Santa Maria
Arianna Casaburo is originally from Naples and has lived in Santa Maria for several years. She is an Italian fashion designer but also works as a kitesurfing instructor. During the pandemic, she had no one to teach, so she spent her free time walking the deserted streets of Santa Maria. That’s when she noticed the streets were grey and neglected, making the city look sad.
Strange Sculpture on Rua 15 de Agosto in Santa Maria
On 15 Agosto Street in Santa Maria, we find an interesting curiosity, a sculpture described as a Stone Artifact. Its information plate also has a quote: “From here I see the beach of the President, and you?” in four languages, and the name of the sculptor underneath, Giovanni Mandole Jr. The artwork is dated 12.09.2015. And it’s all we know about it so far. The mighty internet and the power of asking people locally gave us no trace of any other information about the meaning of this fascinating “artefact”.
Cabo Verde in a Nutshell: History, Culture, Politics & Art
Cape Verde comprises ten islands, of which nine are inhabited, and is located 375 miles (600 kilometres) off the coast of Senegal. The combined area of all the islands is 1,557 square miles (4,033 square kilometres), roughly the size of Rhode Island. The islands vary in geographical characteristics. Sal, Boavista, Maio, and São Vicente are flat and desert-like, with stretches of dunes. Santiago, Santo Antão, Fogo, and São Nicolau are more mountainous and arable, although all the islands have a long history of drought. They are all of volcanic origin; Fogo, the only volcano that is still active, last erupted in 1995. The capital, Praia, is on the island of Santiago, which is the largest in terms of area and population and the first settled.