Gonçalo Mabunda facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gonçalo Mabunda
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| Born | 1 January 1975 Maputo, Mozambique
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Notable work
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Arms into Art, Throne of an African King |
Gonçalo Mabunda (born January 1, 1975, in Maputo, Mozambique) is a talented artist and activist from Mozambique. He is known for creating amazing art from old weapons. His work has been shown in many important places around the world. These include the Center Pompidou in Paris and the famous Venice Biennale in Italy.
Mabunda started his unique art journey in 1995. This was part of a special project by the Christian Council of Mozambique (CCM). After a long civil war in Mozambique, the CCM collected weapons from people. Some weapons were destroyed. Others were made safe and given to artists like Mabunda. He uses them to create sculptures. This project is called "Transforming Guns into Hopes." Over 800,000 weapons have been collected so far.
The project's name comes from an old saying. It is from the Bible, in the book of Micah. It talks about turning weapons into tools for farming. This means changing things used for war into things that help people live.
Gonçalo Mabunda also works with "African Artists for Development." This group supports community projects. They connect these projects with the work of modern artists.
The Art of Gonçalo Mabunda
Mabunda uses parts from old weapons in his art. He uses things like Kalashnikov rifles, rockets, and pistol parts. He turns these pieces into figures that look like people. By doing this, he changes symbols of death into symbols of life.
His art also reminds us of the many people who died. Over one million people were killed during Mozambique's civil war. Mabunda himself lost family members in the war. This makes his work with deactivated weapons very meaningful to him.
He creates thrones and masks from these old weapons. The masks are inspired by traditional masks from Sub-Saharan Africa. But Mabunda adds his own special twist by making them from weapons. His thrones represent power. They also make fun of how power often relies on weapons.
Through his art, Mabunda sends a strong message. He shows how we can prevent more violence. He proves that destroying weapons can be done in a beautiful and artistic way. His work directly challenges the idea of war. His art style is modern. Some people compare it to famous artists like Braque and Picasso.
