In memoriam: Malangatana, Great Artist, Poet and Inspiration

I interviewed the man in June 2000. Our time together was brief and I knew I could not do this great artist justice, my article was limited in scope and in the number of words, alas, the constraints of space in newspapers. The whole time of our interview, he held a pen between his fingers and doodled on a peice of A4 paper. At the end of the interview he handed me the paper with a smile: "here, this is for you." It read: "To Hani with flower from Malangatana 6/6/2000, Maputo."

This prolific artist and national hero of Mozambique was full of life, full of ideas and his mind never stopped, even in his doodles he conveyed an artisitic vision that was pure and honest and passionate. Malangatana Valente Ngwenha was laid to rest on January 14 in his home town of Matalana, he was 74.

If Lebanon had a revolutuion and an artist for its revolution like Malangatana we would not be where we are today, on the brink of civil war. During Portugese rule Malangatana was imprisoned for his art work which he said reflected the "ideology of independence". His artwork is interwoven into the fabric of the Mozambican freedom movement, his murals adorn many government buildings in Maputo, the Mozambican capital.

"As children, my freinds and I, we were already prepared to be poets, dancers, writers, even philosophers but most important we were full of imagination," Malangatana told me. It is that spark of passion and imagination that continues to inspire the people of his country.

In 1961 Malangatana met Dr. Eduardo Mondalane, leader of the independence movement of Mozambique and it was at that point that he began his involvement in politics. Through his friendship with Mozambican poets, Malangatana began to 'suckle the milk of freedom' as he put it. During this time, Malangatana was a painter, singer, dancer, drum player, he did theatre and wrote articles for newspapers.

What I regret is that my own country's struggle for nationhood and national identity, which continues to this day, never had an artist as great as this as its guiding light and compass. Malangatana, you will be missed, may you rest in peace.

----

Below is the report from the Mozambique News Agency:

Mozambique's greatest painter laid to rest

The remains of Mozambique’s greatest painter, the internationally renowned Malangatana Valente Ngwenha were laid to rest on 14 January in the village of Matalana, in Marracuene district, about 30 kilometres north of Maputo. Malangatana was honoured with a state funeral attended by thousands of people from all walks of life, including dignitaries and members of the diplomatic corps.

In his eulogy to Malangatana, President Armando Guebuza said, “Hero in this country of Heroes, the dean of our fine arts and culture has departed, but this emblematic figure of our cultural heritage is still alive and in our midst”.

According to President Guebuza, statements made by national and foreign dignitaries, testimony made by ordinary citizens, as well as tributes from a number of countries, show that Malangatana is the soul of wisdom of Mozambicans.

President Guebuza went further to say that in life Malangatana represented the pathway of heroes, those children of this beautiful country who dared to fight, and never said “mission accomplished”, even after having achieved the sacrosanct freedom and independence of Mozambique.

“Through his paintings the Mozambican nation has been enriched and they have enriched the artistic and cultural inheritance of mankind, factors that coalesced to crystallize our self-esteem, in Mozambique, and for all of humankind”, said President Guebuza.

In life Malangatana was a freedom fighter and philanthropist, always willing to share his knowledge.

He also held a number of positions and received many awards, both nationally and internationally. He was a member of the State Council, and was honoured with the Order of Eduardo Mondlane, and the Nachingwea Medal, among others awards.

President Guebuza urged the mourners to use the ceremony to utilise the example played by the great painter, in his work and how he sought to awaken and nurture the talent of many other men and women both in Mozambique and abroad.

“We are certain that the best way to honour the memory of the Grand Master is to devote ourselves to the causes, values and noble principles he defended, such as self-esteem, self-overcoming, national unity, peace and freedom, social justice, and solidarity and welfare for both Mozambicans and mankind”, he added.

Malangatana died on 5 January in Portugal from respiratory complications. He had
been in Portugal for the past two months dealing with legal issues arising from attempts to counterfeit his work.

The 74 year old Malangatana had been staying at his daughter’s house. When he fell ill he was taken to the Pedro Hispano hospital in the northern Portuguese town of Matosinhos, where he died.

Malangatana was born on 6 June 1936 in the village of Matalana. He attended mission schools, while also helping his mother on the family farm. His father was frequently absent because he was a migrant worker in the South African gold mines.

But the arts soon became his dominant passion – he sold his first paintings 50 years ago, but he also tried his hand at sculpture, ceramics, tapestries, poetry, music and acting.

His first solo painting exhibition was held in 1960, and in 1963 some of his poems were published in the magazine “Black Orpheus”, and were included in an anthology of “Modern Poetry from Africa”.

Before entering the world of arts, Malangatana was a ball boy at a tennis club, a domestic servant, a cattle herder, and a barman.

Describing his own thoughts about art in an essay published several years ago, Malangatana wrote “Art for me is a collective expression that comes from the uses and customs of the people and leads to their social, mental, cultural and political evolution. Art is a musical instrument full of messages. These are messages that the artist selects to put together in front of humanity”.