Reinata Sadimba (b. 1945, Nemu, Mozambique) is a pioneering figure in contemporary African art. Her journey is defined by both the resilience of the Makonde matrilineal tradition and the profound impact of Mozambique’s struggle for independence. A witness to the turbulent years of the liberation war, during which she suffered the tragic loss of six of her seven children, Reinata found in clay the medium to process grief and assert her agency.
It was only after the country’s independence, in 1975, that she began to fully dedicate herself to sculpture. Defying the gender-based norms of her Makonde culture, where sculpting was historically a male-dominated craft, she forged a unique artistic language. Her works, characterized by biomorphic, fantastic forms, articulate a complex dialogue between the Makonde universe, personal memory, and the resilient spirit of her people.
Represented by Perve Galeria since 2000, Reinata’s trajectory has been marked by an expansion from local roots to global institutional recognition. Her work is held in prestigious public and private collections, including the TATE Modern, Afreximbank, the National Museum of Mozambique, the Ethnology Museum of Lisbon, the Culturgest collection. Her status as a seminal artist is further underscored by her inclusion in Phaidon’s definitive publication, African Artists: From 1882 to Now, alongside other publications.
Over the past two decades, Reinata has exhibited extensively worldwide. Recent highlights include her participation in the landmark exhibition The Power of My Hands at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris (2021) and at SESC Pompeia, São Paulo (2025–2026), featuring works from Perve Galeria’s Lusophonies Collection.
Her ongoing collaboration with Perve Galeria has included an artistic residency in 2023 as well as a consistent presence at international art fairs over the last 15 years. This presence surged significantly following a critically acclaimed, sold-out solo presentation in the Bawwaba section of Art Dubai in 2024, curated by Emiliano Valdés. With the gallery, she remains a fixture at major international art circuits, including Abu Dhabi Art, ARCOlisboa, 1-54 London, and AKAA (Paris), among others. Her ongoing institutional trajectory culminates in her upcoming participation in the 2027 Sharjah Biennial, invited by curator Paula Nascimento.
