Cristiano Mangovo

Cristiano Mangovo is an Angolan visual artist whose work explores themes of identity, migration, and socio-political change. Born in 1982, Mangovo fled the Angolan Civil War as a child and sought refuge in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In 2013, he received his fine art degree from the Academy of Fine Arts in Kinshasa. Mangovo’s art blends surrealism and expressionism, with frequent use of hybrid creatures and dual-mouth motifs that symbolize political dissent and freedom of speech, inspired by Angola’s authoritarian past. Mango advocates for social and environmental change through his paintings, sculptures, and performances. Now based in Lisbon, Portugal, he has exhibited widely, including at Expo Milano, 1-54 New York, and Investec Cape Town Art Fair.