Teresa Kutala Firmino, 

Born in Pomfret, a remote town in the North West province of South Africa, where ex-Angolan soldiers who fought on the side of South Africa in the Border War between 1966 – 1989 were relocated. Teresa’s heritage straddles both her Angolan heritage and her South African place of birth – like most of us who live in dualities where cultures collide in rich tapestry and expression. 

“History as presented is often biased and one-sided, so to get a better understanding I reimagine my past in this so-called truth” Personal memories and historical events are combined and presented in interior scenes that present themselves as both possibilities and invitations to reimagine history. 

A Master’s graduate from Wits University, Teresa’s narrative enquires into our individual and shared histories.  Creating intriguing works that use acrylic paint, fabric and collage to tell stories unique to her lived experience but also familiar to most Africans who straddle two worlds in our quest to balance the Western with the traditional. 

Teresa  describes her work as representing “stories or scenes from different stories. The figures are characters rewriting their histories” 

Teresa is also part of the collective, Kutala Chopeto that explores the shared heritage of the 32 Battalion. Angolan soldiers who were settled in Pomfret. Kutala Chopeto looks at themes of identity, heritage and the history that came from the soldiers migration. 

# Teresa’s work has been featured in several galleries across the continent and the world; Everard Read/CIRCA, London and Everard Read/CIRCA, Cape Town