Avenida Julius Nyerere has come alive. Light, color and joy make up the visual narrative where past and present intersect and offer anyone who passes by the Absa Premier Counter a stop for contemplation.

This Thursday (08), Absa Bank Mozambique presented "Ecos à Penumbra", by Mozambican artist Maria Chale.

The exhibition is part of the Ready For Art program, which was launched at the end of 2023.

It aims to boost the growth and development of artists through a series of actions that promote the interpersonal, financial and business development of all participants.

Maria Chale is the first of 16 artists selected from a group of 30 young people trained by the Bank in various subjects with the aim of adding value to their art.

 "At first, when we opened the showcases at Balcão Premier, we only presented exhibitions and our aim was to give visibility to the artists. Over time, we began to realize that we could go further and also invest in training these artists to be able to monetize their work, and that's where Ready For Art came from.

Today we are witnessing the giving voice to this program with the inauguration of the exhibition by Maria Chale, whom we thank for believing in us and entrusting us with her art," she said. Director of Marketing and Corporate Relations, Tânia Oliveira.

Curated by Mateus Sithole, in "Ecos à Penumbra", Maria Chale reflects on the trajectory of cultural symbols, traditions and patterns that shape identities, how cultural symbols, traditions and patterns that delineate an identity are transported and transformed, in an incessant movement of evolution.

A journey that explores the complex relationship between individual expression and relationships with the outside world, highlighting the adaptations that the traditional has undergone over time due to contemporary trends.

 "I'm flattered to be the first artist to open the doors to this Absa project. From the training to the creation of the works that led to the launch of this exhibition, it was all very interesting. This is a great opportunity to expose myself in a different way, the showcase faces the street, and everyone has access to my works. It's a good way to expose myself as an artist and show my work to an unlimited audience," said the young artist Maria Chale.

For three months, art lovers can contemplate "Echoes to Penumbra", a visual narrative in which Maria Chale challenges the public to contemplate the nuances of culture, its deep roots and its metamorphoses, providing a journey of self-knowledge and appreciation.

Maria Chale is a young visual artist from Maputo, with a degree in Architecture and Physical Planning from Eduardo Mondlane University. She made her exhibition debut in 2018, when she took part in a group show.

Specializing in the medium of graphite and watercolor, enhanced by vibrant colors and subtle touches of gold leaf, her works reflect the artist's multidisciplinarity, with pieces that portray and reflect spatial, historical and social realities, and appropriating narratives.

Also as part of Ready For Art, Absa Bank Moçambique plans to launch two more exhibitions by two artists in March, in Beira and Nampula respectively.