Diaspora
Rui Tenreiro in Stockholm, Sweden
Written by: Eliana Silva
The state in which we find Rui Tenreiro may be characteristic of his artist’s soul: in transition, growing and always discovering.
Tenreiro has lived in the Swedish capital long enough to feel at home there. With an MFA – Master of Fine Arts – in storytelling, he left Maputo to take a master’s degree and, more recently, has devoted himself to creative strategy: “I work with ideas, with writing and with images,” he writes to Xonguila Magazine. In his words, he has been an artist for the past few years, but he has a new professional challenge on his hands that is forcing him to think more like a strategist.
If we were to build a timeline of Tenreiro’s creative work, we would find a wide range of artistic expressions: photography, literature, illustration, directing. If he had to choose a favourite, he would stay with the seventh art, although he is aware that his greatest challenge is keeping everyone satisfied, himself included. An example of what he has already done can be seen in the animated film “The Tower” (directed by Mats Grorud), for which he was responsible for the Art Direction. It tells the saga of a Palestinian girl in a refugee camp in Lebanon, offering a view of how the creation of the State of Israel resulted in almost half a million displaced Palestinians. The film was shown at renowned international festivals, and Rui’s work was described as “excellent” by the American magazine The Hollywood Reporter. “I am a curious, multifaceted creative with a wide range of interests, who likes to question things, uncover truths and align strategic brand solutions for concepts that solve real, often invisible, problems at their root.” – says Rui Tenreiro on his website.
Rui’s work was described as “excellent” by the American magazine The Hollywood Reporter
The almost 15,000 kilometres separating Maputo from Stockholm do not stop Tenreiro from thinking about personal projects related to Africa, even though they are almost as far from becoming reality as the two cities are from each other: a book publication of African artists (not only Mozambican), and a small space for cultural gatherings are the initiatives he has chosen. “To give equal opportunity in the cultural sphere (creation, access, among other things) from South to North, in a large and culturally diverse country, a country that also has more urgent challenges than cultural production. One has to recognise that in order to know the best approach to culture. At ISArC, under Filimone Meigos, this challenge was tackled by housing students who come from the north of the country to study in Maputo, which I found important,” says Rui.
His growth and development are probably the result of his more creative nature and, for that reason, Rui Tenreiro tries to listen to people whose opinions and views differ from his own: “I do not have many great influences; diversity is good. In terms of advertising strategy, for example, I think Praveen Vaidyanathan is brilliant,” he tells us.
And how is Mozambican warmth relived in the cold of Northern Europe? Through culture, of course. It is while preparing his morning coffee that Rui Tenreiro listens to the Gaza Provincial Broadcast – 90.9 FM, Xai-Xai – or the national channel STV. Fortunately for the artist, and for those curious about Mozambican culture, the Stockholm public library holds Portuguese editions of books by Paulina Chiziane, Mia Couto, Nelson Saúte, Luís Bernardo, among others. In addition, Rui Tenreiro eases his longing when he visits Mozambique at least once a year.
