Josata Neves (aka NegoZata) was born in 1973 in Gama, Federal District, Brazil, and lives and works in Sao Paulo. As a self-taught artist for over two decades he developed an artistic practice rooted in African ancestry, diasporic expériences, and spirituality, with painting and sculpture as his primary medi-ums. Moving between figuration and symbolic abstraction, his work brings together color, matter, memory, Afro-diasporic cultural roots and imaginaries. In his painting process, black is always the first gesture. From this starting point the artist builds layers of colors, forms, and meanings that shape his imagery and creative process.

ARTIST STATEMENT
In Brussels I am developing Black Origins a research project that draws from african civilization legacies to investigate ori-gins, memory, spirituality and representation of Black humanity

BIO
Negozafa’s career includes 32 solo exhibitions as well as participation in exhibitions, biennials, and abroad. Among his major bodies of work are the Diaspora and Orixas series, presented at prominent Brazilian cultural institutions. He participated in the 12th Havana Biennial and the 1st Bienal del Sur in Ven-ezuela, as well as international exhibitions and projects in the US, France, Zurich and Angola.