AKKA PROJECT

AKKA Project introduces an innovative dimension to the gallery experience, offering a vibrant showcase of unique contemporary art from Africa and cultural initiatives in both Dubai and Venice. As a commercial gallery and project space, AKKA Project is dedicated to promoting and supporting artists of African origin. The locations in Dubai, Venice, and Lugano are intimate, carefully curated spaces designed to host a diverse range of artistic expressions.

Each work and project presented reflects a personal journey, encapsulating the unique experiences gained while exploring Africa’s diverse artistic landscape. At the core of AKKA Project’s mission is the nurturing and enhancement of the creative process of artists. To this end, AKKA Project organizes artist residencies in Venice, with a particular focus on emerging and mid-career artists.

We cherish the freedom offered by the gallery spaces, which allow us to redefine the concept of a “gallery” both artistically and conceptually, serving as a catalyst for change within the broader community. In addition to scheduled and curated exhibitions, AKKA Project facilitates presentations and showcases by guest lecturers, external artists, guest curators, and partner institutions.

Here is the selection of artists chosen by AKKA Project for the Boutique Fair of Arts YouNique 2025:

Filipe Branquinho

REINATA SADIMBA

Born in 1945 in Homba, in the Cabo Delgado province of Mozambique, Reinata Sadimba faced early challenges after losing her father. Despite enduring a brief arranged marriage at a young age, which resulted in the birth of three children, Reinata, the daughter of farmers, received traditional Maconde education, specializing in crafting utilitarian clay objects. Later, she remarried and had more children, but the liberation war and the early years of Mozambique’s independence brought significant losses: the death of seven children and the end of her second marriage. Living in Nimo, a village in the Mueda Plateau, the cradle of the Maconde ethnicity, Reinata’s originality and independence in the small village often led to misunderstandings.

Traditionally, pottery was an exclusively female craft, but Reinata transformed pots into anthropomorphic figures, challenging gender roles and redefining the potter’s role as an artist. In 1985, facing difficulties with her young son, she moved to Dar es Salaam, where she held her first solo exhibition in 1990 at the Nyyumba Ya Sanaa Gallery. In 1992, after the Mozambican war, she settled in Maputo, using the Natural History Museum as her studio space.

Recognized as one of Africa’s most important female artists, Reinata has received numerous awards. Her works are displayed in institutions worldwide, including the National Museum of Mozambique, the Museum of Ethnology in Lisbon, the United Nations headquarters in New York, and the modern art collection of Culturgest. Both solo and group exhibitions have showcased her art in Mozambique, Portugal, Switzerland, Tanzania, South Africa, Denmark, France, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

PAMELA ENYONU

Pamela Enyonu, born in 1985 in Kampala, Uganda, where she currently lives and works, studied Art and Design at Kyambogo University Banda in Kampala, Uganda. Her artistic career began in 2017 with a three-month residency at 32 Degrees East, during which she explored the politics of identity, trauma, and healing. At the end of the residency, she was invited to present a solo exhibition in June 2017 and has since participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions.

Pamela’s style is inspired by stories reflecting the experiences of Ugandan women. She uses a variety of materials and is particularly interested in transforming them into works of art. Her creations possess a tactile and three-dimensional quality, with richly layered textures that delve into narratives of gender, identity, empowerment, and self-awareness. Pamela is especially drawn to “non-tokenized” experiences at the intersection of empowerment, mental health, and identity. Two years after participating in the Africa 2020 residency in Paris, France, she was selected in 2022 to join the AKKA Project Artist Residency Program in Venice, Italy, and Pro Helvetia in Zurich, Switzerland. She continues to engage with various communities through collaborations, workshops, and seminars.

The artist’s words: “I often return to the craft practices of weaving, braiding, plaiting, printing, etc., to fill any gaps. This strengthens the relationships I share with my subjects, embedding a fragment of my own story into each work.”

OSARU OBASEKI

Osaru Obaseki, born in 1993 in Edo State, Nigeria, is an emerging force in the multidisciplinary visual arts scene. Living in the heart of the African continent, Osaru has deeply intertwined herself with the fabric of contemporary art, launching her professional journey in 2017. She currently works between Benin City and Lagos. Her artistic explorations focus on themes such as materiality, history, cultural identity, social dynamics, and the complexities of colonial and post-colonial narratives. With a unique approach, Osaru combines sand and acrylics, merging two distinct eras: the ancient and the modern. Additionally, her artistic repertoire includes bronze casting, an ancient technique she reimagines in innovative contemporary forms, paying homage to the historical legacy of this tradition.

A graduate of the prestigious ITP-International Training Programme in collaboration with the British Museum, Osaru Obaseki is also a member of the British Art Network. Her works have been exhibited in prominent institutions such as Rele Gallery, Saboart Advisory, Amar Singh Gallery, and Eclectica Gallery, among others. Among her achievements is her participation in the 2019 Re-entanglement exhibition, a collaborative project with the University of Cambridge, the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology in London, UK, and Nosona Studios in Benin City, Nigeria.

Her passion extends to supporting the artistic community: Osaru was an integral part of the Back to Base workshop, a collaborative initiative between the Goethe-Institut and the Rele Arts Foundation in Lagos, Nigeria. Her impact in the art world has garnered attention from major media outlets and documentaries, including The New York Times, BBC, Document Women, DW Documentary, and the Franco-German broadcaster ARTE.

GONÇALO MABUNDA

Gonçalo Mabunda, born in 1975 in Maputo, Mozambique, is an artist who transforms weapons of war into symbols of resilience and creativity. Living and working in Maputo, Mabunda is deeply connected to the collective memory of Mozambique, a country that endured a devastating 16-year civil war, which ended in 1992. His artistic practice involves repurposing deactivated weapons—AK-47s, rocket launchers, pistols, and other instruments of destruction—into sculptures with anthropomorphic forms and thrones that reflect the human condition and structures of social power.

Mabunda’s work evokes a modernist aesthetic, often compared to the creations of Braque and Picasso. The transformed weapons carry profound political implications but also represent a positive meditation on the transformative power of art and the resilience of African societies in the face of adversity. His thrones, in particular, are symbols of power, tribal heritage, and traditional African art forms, while also offering a poignant and ironic critique of the violence experienced during his childhood and the isolating effects of civil war.

Mabunda has achieved international recognition, participating in significant exhibitions such as All the World’s Futures at the 2015 Venice Biennale and representing Mozambique at the 2019 Venice Biennale. His works have been featured in numerous solo and group exhibitions worldwide and are part of prestigious public and private collections.

GABRELWA WORKU

Gabrelwa Worku’s work focuses on exploring values, particularly in relation to clothing. She is fascinated by the significance attributed to garments and the value they represent. In the past, she was highly conscious of how others perceived her appearance, constantly worrying about dressing the right way to be accepted by her friends and community. As a result, she spent a significant amount of money on clothing, convinced that it would guarantee her social recognition.

“As a human being, I want my ideas and thoughts to hold more value than the fabric that covers my body,” she says. This is the message she seeks to express through her artistic work: she brings together colors, materials, and various dimensions to create balance. She uses vibrant, bold fabrics as focal points, symbols of a material often given more value than the person wearing it. She chooses to collect and use scraps of different fabrics because they are discarded, forgotten, and ignored—just as the human body often is, devoid of recognition and value. She transforms these fabrics by dyeing them, creating textures, and sometimes burning them, to translate her ideas into artworks. She also uses the sewing technique, which symbolizes mending, repair, and reconstruction.

FILIPE BRANQUINHO

Filipe Branquinho was born in 1977 in Mozambique and currently lives and works between Maputo (Mozambique), San José (Costa Rica), and Madrid (Spain). Branquinho is a multifaceted artist: he studied architecture and pursued a parallel career as a photographer and illustrator. Growing up in an environment closely connected to the journalistic and artistic spheres of Maputo, Branquinho’s aesthetic combines his familiarity with architecture and the traditions of Mozambican photography. Raised among prominent figures like Ricardo Rangel, Kok Nam, and José Cabral, Filipe merges genres such as portraiture and landscape to reflect on social themes tied to Mozambique’s contemporary reality, its customs, myths, and urban dynamics.

He is currently working on a series titled Lipiko, in which he uses Mapiko masks from Maconde tradition, blending drawing and photography with a strong sense of satire to reflect on aspects and values of contemporary national affairs. Branquinho’s works have been featured in numerous group and solo exhibitions in Mozambique, Brazil, Portugal, and South Africa. Filipe was among the artists selected to represent Mozambique at the 2019 Venice Biennale.

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