Born in Mozambique, Valente Ngwenya Malangatana has been described as the pioneer of new African Art because of his combination of fearless vision with an unbridled utilization of his heritage. Acutely sensitive to the political and social implications of colonialism, Valente Malangatana's canvases depict the remnants of history, a history with foreign definitions of moral and immoral, of God and the Devil and ever-present social pressures. Malangatana feels that any art that fails to express the anxieties and aspirations of the people is insignificant. As a result his works always contain strong elements of empathy for their subjects agony.

Malangatana's fantastical scenes which are crammed with figures ex...