MEET
Babu
Hamilton Francisco, widely known as Babu, is an Angolan contemporary artist whose work explores the layered relationship between memory, identity, and historical narrative. Born in 1974 in Malanje, Angola, Babu discovered his passion for painting at an early age — a force that would go on to define his creative and intellectual journey.
He pursued formal training at the Manauto Training and Technology Centre in Luanda, specialising in industrial design, before continuing his artistic research in Portugal, where his visual language deepened and expanded. A pivotal moment in his career came during his participation in the Museums in the Centre project in Coimbra, which inspired his long-term body of work titled “Memory and Identity”.
Through this research-based practice, Babu investigates Africa’s complex and often erased historical interactions — especially within the context of colonisation, cultural transmission, and global memory. His paintings, installations, and mixed-media works serve as visual essays, asking viewers to reflect on what has been forgotten, silenced, or reimagined across time and space.
Babu’s art is marked by versatility — encompassing painting, sculpture, and conceptual formats — and his visual narratives have been presented in numerous solo and group exhibitions across Angola, Portugal, and internationally. His participation in artist residencies has further enriched his perspective, allowing his work to engage with a global audience while remaining rooted in African epistemologies.
His artworks are housed in prominent private and institutional collections, including the Millennium Atlântico Foundation, CLC Arquitectos, Presidente Meridien Luanda, and the Jean Clode de Almeida Collection.
As he continues to evolve his practice, Hamilton Francisco (Babu) stands as a critical voice in postcolonial African art, using creativity as a tool to confront, reclaim, and reconstruct identity — both individual and collective.
