Jazz Man Original artwork

Collage on canvas of a jazz musician.

Dario Paulino Manjate, is a Mozambican born artist, currently living in South Africa, who began painting and drawing as early as he can remember. 

'The medium I am working with is collage. I have played around and explored this medium, learning the limits that I can push it to. My artworks are unique in that unlike most collage artists I do not tear my paper and build an image out of colour tones, I cut out every piece. I started by tearing and using other material to activate the canvas however, through my process I discovered that building my images out of cut out objects cut created a beautiful harmony between my medium and my concept.

I use recycled magazines as my source, as I feel this specific paper gives me the quality and subject matter I require. The glossy look and feel of the paper along with the message the magazines carry lends to the overall theme of my art.Conceptually my art breaks down and unpacks the very foundations our society is built on today. By physically cutting out and removing objects from their intended context I begin to build up profiles and identities for my subjects.

Our society today is built around consumerism. A person is no longer known by who they characteristically are but rather by what they possess. Humanity is constructed from the very items it creates.From afar these portraits look beautiful however, upon closer inspection, the volume of material items begins to overwhelm, creating an atmosphere of obsession and greed. This characteristic of the artwork’s make up reveals the grotesque nature of what is seen as beautiful in today’s time.By using magazine cut outs I gain the effect of a glossy surfaces. Which begins to reflect on the concept of how appealing wealth is and yet how fragile its reliability is.When you look at my art I require my audience to look at their lives and what they use to identify and define who they are. To reflect on how they exhibit themselves to the public eye.'