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Mário Macilau

by Mário Macilau
(Maputo, Mozambique)

BIOGRAPHY | MARIO MACILAU | B.1984, LIVES AND WORKS IN MAPUTO |

As the plants do not choose the garden in which they flourish and blossom, Mário Macilau was born in the newly independent Mozambique, in the midst of the most critical phase of its civil war in 1984. His family struggled financially and moved from the Inhambane province to the capital, Maputo, in search of a better life. When he was 10 years old he began to work in a small market frequented by the middle / upper class, washing cars in the car park and helping to carry the groceries in an effort to support his family.

Macilau started his journey as photographer in 2003 and engaged to professional level when he traded his mother’s cell phone for his first camera in 2007, he specializes in long-term projects focus on living and environmental condition over the time. As documentary photographer he strives on the theme of positive change across different cultures, locations and perspectives, in his home country he use to confronting the realism of power, environment and cultural heritage that affect the socially isolated groups and issues that define our times.

Macilau shows his work regularly in nationals and internationals exhibitions and recently he has been included at: Pan African group exhibition at the Biennale of African Photography in Bamako 2011 where he won the crossing point residence that has been held in France at les Rencontres D'arles 2012 from Fondation Blachère, he was one of the 5 finalist of 7th edition of BESphoto 2011 in Portugal where his work has been showed at CCB - Centro Cultural de Belém and at Pinacoteca de Estado de Sao Paulo in Brazil, in 2011, he exhibited at VI Chobi Mela Photo Festival in Bangladesh 2011, the photo spring in Beijing, china 2011, Lagos Photo I and II edition, The KLM in Malasya, his work has been exhibited also at the Belgium Assembly during the European day when he won the second prize at the Young ACP Photographer’s Competition in 2010, he won the VISA POUR LA CREATION 2012 from the French Institute, he won the first prize from the Protection Project in Washiton DC 2012, the prize from EVTZ Foundation in Germany, the Santa Lucia Award in Spain 2011, the AECID Award for creation in 2011, he won the talent prize from France Embassy in Maputo in 2011, the TDM Bienal in Maputo and more...

Mário Macilau has completed a number of artistic residencies including a three-months stay in Johannesburg under The Bag Factory Studio in 2011, three-months residency at the CACAU in Sao Tomé Island 2011, two months stay in Nairobi under Kuona Trust, he won the VISA POUR LA CREATION 2012 from institute Français to be in residency in Lagos, Niéria under CCA Lagos and he has been included at the Artist and Curators Meeting a programme organized by Goethe Institute in each photography festival taking place in Africa from 2011, been nominated for the Prix Picket Award in 2012.