ARTIST
Indira Mateta
Angola
Indira Mateta an Angolan photographer, born and raised in Luanda where she still lives and develops her work. A photographer engaged in contributing to her personal discovery as an individual, woman, black, African, but also aims to facilitate the same process of discovery in the other.
In 2008, she won the 1st photography contest of Banco Espírito Santo Angola. In 2012 she carried out in the Angolan capital the project “Raízes (Roots)”, a work related to the theme of natural hair as part of a process of redemption of identity and values. In 2013, she joined the global project “Inside Out” and exhibited the result in murals in two different areas of Luanda, downtown and outskirts in order to get the message straight to both realities.
Since her professional debut as a photographer to this day, she has been involved in individual and collective photographic projects and art residences such as the art residence “Home and Abroad” in Sintra (2010); Collective exhibition “Projecto 30/30” in Maputo (2011); A female only collective exhibition “Elinga no Feminino” in Luanda(2015); Collective exhibitions with the project “VêSó” in Luanda (2015 and 2016) and the art residence “Catchupa Factory” in Mindelo (2019).
Featured Work
2020
Mam’ Etu Kianda
PHOTOGRAPHY AND INSTALLATION WITH SOUND

This is an installation recreating the offering scenarios present in
the ritual dedicated to Kianda (the Water Goddess). Audio accompanies the installation with all the
sound elements from the rituals. The photographic images follow the daylight and sunset outdoor locations where Kianda rituals used to take place and also indoor spaces where the rituals used to be prepared back in the day. Kianda is a formerly highly respected and worshipped Water Goddess in Luanda
whose rituals of worship have unfortunately been discontinued. The artist intends to look at layers
of questions, feelings, stories and memories. They want to perceive
connections, to absorb information, to allow themselves to be part of
this, since, as a Luanda citizen they are also Kianda’s daughter.