Mario Soares, born in 1982, is a Mozambican artist now based in Johannesburg. Soares initially worked as an artist/embroiderer for Boitumelo in Hillbrow, until embarking on his studies at Artist Proof Studio in 2010. Soares graduated in 2013 and proceeded to develop his skill in etching. Soares works in a variety of mediums, including etching, printmaking, spray painting, and collage.
In his body of work, Soares delves into the metaphor of the road to explore concepts concerning the processes of growing up, travel, and migration. As an immigrant himself, Soares chooses to use faceless and generalised ‘identity-less’ subjects, as he feels it gives a voice to the ways in which immigrants seek to make themselves invisible in their new home country, fearful of entrenched xenophobia. Soares' art reflects the lives of Johannesburg workers and his nostalgic ties to Chimio, Mozambique. His work has been featured in numerous group exhibitions and art fairs in Johannesburg and Cape Town. Now an independent artist, he continues to create compelling pieces from his Johannesburg studio.
“My work is deeply influenced by my surroundings and experiences. My art often reflects the vibrancy and struggles of workers in Johannesburg, juxtaposed with a nostalgic longing for my homeland in Chimio, Mozambique.”
