Joao Ladeira

Joao Ladeira is a contemporary artist whose works comment on current affairs and particularly on issues affecting migration of people around world due to sociopolitical and economic instability, particularly in the African continent. Ladeira’s art exposes the human side of displaced people on the continent of Africa.

Globalisation has brought a multiplicity of languages and cultures, so as an artist, Ladeira feels that creativity within the context of contemporary art, cannot exist without the element of openness to socio-political and cultural, as well as appropriation of history as a form of celebration, and enrichment of values.

In his works, Ladeira cheerfully uses African batiks within the context of post-colonial integration or representation. In this post-colonial Africa, what was previously known as a product of colonialism and trade has become integral part of African fashion. Within this framework, African

batik therefore, is used by the artist as a tool for African

new identity and pride.

Ladeira uses different techniques in his canvas, such as drawings, painting and collage to communicate his message. The figures are made of drawings most of the time defaced, sometimes, with directional lines, or wavelike lines to emulate the sea waves of the deep waters, were thousands African migrants perish trying to reach the shores of Europe.

The latest series of works by Ladeira are a comment on the African migrant’s crisis at the Mediterranean Sea. Migrants who come mostly from Sudan, Somalia, Eritrea, the Gambia, Mali and Nigeria, are often smuggled from the coast of Libya, on the flimsy boats that offers little security or none, often ending up in shipwreck tragedy.

Ladeira creates these works as a tool for awareness of this often-forgotten people. The works aims to give face to the faceless, voice to the voiceless, and name to the nameless. With his works, Ladeira believes “it is a way to honour those migrants who die trying to cross the Sea”