TUTU SOUSA

Born on December 16, 1974, in São Vicente, Cape Verde and has lived in Praia since he was 2 years old. In Lisbon, in 1996, he took the Electronic Publishing for Graphic Arts course. He attended several Senegalese art workshops, self taught in the field of painting and sculpture, in his career, there were several individual and collective exhibitions on several islands in Cape Verde, and in several European countries such as Portugal, France, Italy, Spain, Holland , Germany, in the USA and in Macau / China, in addition to creating dozens of murals and decorative paintings such as at the Nelson Mandela International Airports in the City of Praia and Amílcar Cabral on the Island of Sal, in the City of Fort France in Martinique.

In 2005, he received a medal of recognition from the Praia City Council for his work in beautifying the City of Praia.

Highlighted in the book “Cape Verde and the plastic arts, path and perspectives”, Named artist of the year at the 2015 Cape Verdeans Trusted Brand Gala.

Tutu Sousa has left his mark in every country he travels to, whether in mural paintings, drawings, canvases and more and is referenced in the Cape Verde Tourist Guide.

In 2015, celebrating 25 years of career, he started a personal project Rua d’ARTE, an open-air gallery with the aim of promoting art and culture and promoting unity between artists. 

He was named Urban Ambassador by the UN in 2017 for his work on behalf of cities. Man of the Year 2017 at Gala Somos Cabo Verde, distinguished with the “África is more” prize in 2019, Author of the Street Art project entitled “Filhos do Mar” in Terra Branca - Praia 2020/2021, 1st Violet Atlas Prize at the Carrousel du Louvre 2022.

He has participated in several international art fairs, namely FIA Barcelona, Carrousel de Louvre Paris, World Art Dubai, Monaco art Fair.

Participation in RICAT - Rencontres Internationales de la Culture, de l’Artisanat et du Tourisme, Dakar 2023. Participation in the Artistic Residency entitled Cenas de Dança, Cenas da Vida, with the Grandchildren of Bandim in Guinea-Bissau, January 2024.