Banco Comercial e de Investimentos (BCI) has hosted ‘Labirintos da Vida’ (Labyrinths of Life) at its auditorium in Maputo — the first major public exhibition by Mozambican visual artist Fernando Nyabanga. The show comprises 21 works and invites visitors to explore, through art, the paths, choices, hardships, and fresh starts that define the human experience.
Virgínia Albasini, BCI’s Director of Social Responsibility and Media Libraries, underscored the significance of the initiative within the bank’s broader commitment to promoting national culture and talent. ‘In hosting it, BCI reaffirms its commitment to promoting Mozambican art and culture, opening space to new talents and contributing to their visibility and recognition,’ she said in a statement issued by the bank.
Albasini also highlighted the symbolic weight of the exhibition taking place in the year BCI marks three decades of operations. ‘It is particularly gratifying to carry out this initiative in a year in which BCI celebrates its 30th anniversary,’ she said, adding that even amid crossroads and uncertainty, ‘art reminds us that there are always new horizons to discover.’
Osvaldo Faquir, Councillor for Education, Culture and Sport at the Maputo Municipal Council, spoke to the role of art in shaping collective identity and celebrating cultural diversity. For Faquir, the exhibition’s title carries a powerful metaphor: ‘Life is, in fact, a path made of encounters and missed connections, of doors that open and others that close, of moments of light and shadow.’ He also highlighted Maputo’s vocation as a meeting point for the country’s diverse cultural expressions, arguing that initiatives of this kind help transform the capital into ‘a great stage for creation, dialogue, and the appreciation of Mozambican cultural diversity.’
The artist himself shared the story behind the exhibition with those present. Nyabanga revealed that he began painting in 1997 but felt for many years that he was not yet ready to show his work publicly. The impulse for ‘Labirintos da Vida’ came in a simple moment: looking at a bare wall in his home, he realised there was nothing on it that identified him as an artist. He painted one work, then another, and the project began to take shape. On the concept underpinning the show, Nyabanga explained that the labyrinths represent life’s difficulties, which force each person to ‘think and rethink and, sometimes, even step back’ in order to find new ideas and continue searching for a way forward.
With ‘Labirintos da Vida’, BCI reinforces its commitment to opening its spaces to Mozambican artistic creation, providing new opportunities for encounters between artists and the public and contributing to the visibility of the country’s diverse cultural expressions. The initiative also reflects the bank’s confidence in the talent, creativity, and transformative power of Mozambican art as fundamental elements in strengthening the country’s cultural identity.
The exhibition is open to the public free of charge until 28 August.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=532152
