Born in Maputo in 1984.
Lives and works in Maputo, Mozambique.
EDUCATION
Centro de Formação e Documentação Fotográfica, Maputo, Mozambique
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2022 - The Price of Charcoal, Galerie Alex Serra, Cologne, Germany
2021 - Sombras Do Tempo. MOVART gallery, (Lisbon, Portugal)
2019 – Fé, Fundação Leite Couto, Maputo, Mozambique
2019– Faith, Guns and Rain, Johannesburg, South Africa
2018- Investec, Cape Town Art Fair, Ed Cross Fine Arts, Cape Town South Africa
2018- Speaking... and there is still no one to hear me, AKKA Projects, Dubai, United Emirates
2018- I don’t’ Like Black People but I do Like You, Paulo Nunes Gallery, Vila Franca de Xira, Portugal
2017- Art Paris Art Fair, Ed Cross booth, Paris, France
2017- One Way, Mov’Art Gallery, Luanda, Angola
2017- Moments of Transition, Art Africa Fair, Cape Town, South Africa
2016- Rostos e Espaços, Espaço Luanda Arte, Luanda, Angola, curated by Keyezua
2016- Volta Art Fair, Ed Cross booth, New York, USA
2015- The Road Not Taken, The Auction Room, London, United Kingdom
2015- Discover Show, Fotofestiwal Łódź, Poland
2015- Nada Como O Tempo, Kulungwana Gallery, Maputo, Mozambique, curated by Berry Bickle 2014- The Price of Cement, Gallery Jatad, Houston, Texas, USA
2014- Fora Da Cidade, blank projects, Cape Town, South Africa
2014- Moments of Transition, Galeria Belo-Galsterer, Lisbon, Portugal
2013- Tempo, Galeria Belo-Galsterer, Lisbon, Portugal
2012- Living on the Edge, Kuona Art Trust, Nairobi, Kenya
2012- Taking Place, Gallery Influx Contemporary, Lisbon, Portugal
2011- Life goes on, Mediateca do BCI, Mozambique
2011- Wood and Deforestation, Kokopelli Festival, Belgium
2009- Terra de Boa Gente, Instituto Camões, Maputo, Mozambique
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2026 - Form Unfolding [group show], Galerie Alex Serra, Cologne, Germany
2025 - With each other IV [group show], Galerie Alex Serra, Cologne, Germany
2024 - The traced emptiness of just before, Galerie Alex Serra, Cologne, Germany
2024 – Polirritmia. MOVART gallery in collaboration with World African Artists United and MEXTO, (Lisbon, Portugal)
2024 – Investec Cape Town Art Fair. MOVART gallery, (Cape Town, South Africa)
2024 – Liberdade. Portugal, lugar de emcontros’. UCCLA – União das Cidades Capitaís da Língua Portuguesa, (Lisbon, Portugal). Curated by João Pinharanda
2023 – AKAA Fair. MOVART gallery, (Paris, France)
2023 – 1-54 Fair. MOVART gallery, (London, United Kingdom)
2023 – A World In Common. Contemporary African Photography’. Tate Modern Museum, (London, United Kingdom)
2023 – As Máscaras Do Corpo. MOVART gallery (Lisbon, Portugal)
2022 - With each other II [Group show], Galerie Alex Serra, Colgone, Germany
2022 – Investec Cape Town Fair. MOVART gallery (Cape Town, South Africa)
2021 – ‘In The Beginning’. Ed Cross gallery (London, UK)
2021 – AKAA Fair (Paris, France)
2019 – ‘Private Selection’. MOVART gallery, (Luanda, Angola)
2019 – ARCO Lisboa. (Lisboa, Portugal)
2019 – Art Madrid. (Madrid, Spain), Galeria Paulo Nunes Arte Contemporânea, Portugal
2018 – Third Beijing Photo Biennial. (Beijing, China)
2018 – Unseen Amsterdam: Photography Fair. (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)
2018 – 1-54 Art Fair. (London, UK)
2018 – If So What. (San Francisco, USA)
2017 – ‘I don’t like Black People but I like You’. Paulo Nunes gallery, (Lisbon, Portugal)
2017 – ‘Songes d’hier, Rêveries du présent’. Musee de la Photographie de St Louis, (St Louis, Senegal)
2017 – FNB Joburg Art Fair. (Johannesburg, South Africa)
2017 – FotoFever. (Arles, France)
2016- AAKA Fair, Ed Cross booth, Paris, France
2016- FNB Joburg Art Fair, Espaço Luanda Arte booth, Johannesburg, South Africa
2015- Pavilion of the Holy See, 56th Venice Biennale, Italy
2015- Making Africa: A Continent of Contemporary Design, Vitra Design Museum, Germany
2015- ENTRY PROHIBITED TO FOREIGNERS, Havremagasinet - Boden Art Center, Sweden, curated by Elise Atangana
2015- 1:54 Contemporary Art Fair, Ed Cross booth, London, United Kingdom
2015- FNB Joburg Art Fair, blank projects booth, Johannesburg, South Africa
2014- Pangaea: New Art from Africa and Latin America, Saatchi Gallery, London, United Kingdom 2014- Fotofest Biennial, Houston, Texas, USA
2014- No Fixed Abode, The New Church Museum, Cape Town, South Africa
2014- Next thing you know, Blank projects, Cape Town, South Africa
2014- Embodied Reflections, Galerie SANAA, Utrecht, The Netherlands
2014- International Biennial of Casablanca, Morocco
2014- FNB Joburg Art Fair: blank projects booth, Johannesburg, South Africa
2013- NATURA, Paisagem e Natureza, Museu Nogueira da Silva, Braga, Portugal, curated by Alda Galsterer
2012- Convergências, Alliance Française, Madrid, Spain & King’s Place, London, United Kingdom
2012- Dak’art Biennial OFF, Dakar, Senegal
2012- Crossing Point Residency, Les Rencontres d’Arles, France
2012- the KLM in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
2011- Africa. See me, see you! Photo Spring Festival, Beijing, China
2011- VI Chobi Mela Photo Festival, Dhaka, Bangladesh
2011- BESPhoto, Pinacoteca do Estado de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
2011- BESPhoto, Berardo Museum Collection, Lisbon, Portugal
2011- São Tomé Biennial, São Tomé Island 2011 Bamako Biennial, Mali
2011- Lagos Photo, Lagos, Nigeria
2011- Common Language, for PLMJ Foundation, Lisbon, Portugal, curated by Miguel Amado
2011- South is the new North, Gallery Influx Contemporary Art, Lisbon, Portugal
2011- Hasselblad Master Finalist, Studio, London, United Kingdom
2011- Hasselblad Master Finalist, Siren Studios, Los Angeles, USA
2011- Hasselblad Master Finalist, Shoot NYC, (La Venue), New York City, USA
2011- Hasselblad Master Finalist, Delight Studios, Berlin, Germany
2011- Pinacoteca de Estado de São Paulo in Brazil
2010- Festival de Cine Africano de Tarifa, Tarifa, Spain
2010- VI Certamen de Fotografia Digital, Santa Lucia, Spain
2010- 32st Internationaal Fotofestival, Knokke-Heist, Belgium
2010- LagosPhoto, Lagos, Nigeria
2010- Mulheres e Fronteiras – Centro Cultural Franco-Moçambicano, Maputo, Mozambique
2010- Dockanema Film Festival, Maputo, Mozambique
2010- Bamako – Maputo, Centro Cultural Franco-Moçambicano, Maputo, Mozambique
2010- FotoArt, Centro Cultural Franco-Moçambicano, Maputo, Mozambique
2010- Gwanza Photo Festival, Harare National Museum of Art, Harare, Zimbabwe
2009- Bienal da TDM, Maputo Museum of Art, Maputo, Mozambique
2009- Gwanza Photo Festival, Harare National Museum of Art, Harare, Zimbabwe
2009- Month of Photography, Cape Town, South Africa
2009- Sonhos Perdidos, Rua de Arte, Maputo, Mozambique
INSTITUTIONS AND PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Mário Macilau’s work is held in numerous private and public collections worldwide, including:
African Artists' Foundation (AAF),Lagos
Banco Comercial e de Investimentos (BCI), Maputo
Jean Paul Blachère Foundation Apt
HRA Pharma Foundation, Paris
Pompidou Centre Museum, Paris
Guggenheim Bilbao, Spain
French Embassy in Mozambique,Maputo
Norlinda Collection, Madeira
PLMJ Foundation, Lisbon
Saatchi Gallery, London
Mercedes-Benz, Germany
Vatican Museum, Rome
Spier Arts Trust, Cape Town
Quai Branly Museum, Paris
PRIZES | AWARDS
2023 – Shortlisted for Norval Sovereign African Art Prize
2016 “Foreign Policy” Award, U.S. Government, Washington, D.C.
2015 Scholarship from the Johannesburg Center for African Arts for a residency in Miami (Dec. 2015)
2013 – Shortlisted for The Sovereign Middle East and African Art Prize
2013 – Centro de Formação e Documentação Fotográfica, (Maputo, Mozambique) 2012 – Nominated for The Prix Pictet
2012 – ‘Photographers’ Portfolio Meeting’ by Goethe Institut Johannesburg the artist integrates the curatorial and artist residency with Goethe Institut Johannesburg to be held in Congo
2012 – First Prize awarded by The Protection Project, Photography Contest, (Washington DC, USA) 2011 – Hasselblad Master Finalist
2011 – Nominated for BES Photo Prize
2011, Lisbon-São Paulo
2011 – 3rd Prize from Stiftung EVZ, 8th Photography Competition
2011 – 3rd Prize at Biennial of TDM, Maputo
2011 – Mozambican Talent Award from the French Embassy and French Cultural Centre for the ‘Women with Power Award Photo Contest
2011 – Award for Creation, by the AECID (Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional para el Desarrollo) and The Spanish Embassy in Mozambique
2011 – Santa Lucia Award. (Santa Lucia, Spain)
2011 – CACAU - Casa das Artes Criação Ambiente Utopias. (São Tomé island, São Tomé é Príncipe) 2009 – Nominated Unicef Photo of The Year
2009 – Honorable Mention – National Museum of Art, Maputo, Mozambique
2009 – 1st prize – Amandla Magazine, Johannesburg, South Africa
2009 – 2nd prize – Festival da Baia, Maputo, Mozambique
RESIDENCIES
2012 – VISA pour la Création, Residency Grant by the French Institute (L’Institut Français, Paris)
2012 – Residency in Kuona Trust. Centre for Visual Arts, (Nairobi, Kenya)
2012 – Curatorial and artist residency with Goethe Institut, Johannesburg, held in Congo. (Kinsasa, Congo)
2012 – Crossing Point Residency Program during the Rencontres d’Arles
2012 2011 – Bag Factory Artist Residency Program, (Johannesburg, South Africa)