Sofia Yala (1994), is an Angolan/Portuguese visual artist whose creative journey has found a home between the UK, Portugal, and Angola. Her art practice is a blend of exploration and expression, anchored in a connection to archival material, and image making, aligned with
imaginaries and narratives. Embodying the essence of hybridity, Sofia’s artistic practice is a living entity in itself—a work-in-progress that resists finality. Her approach delves into the past, weaving it with the present, while intentionally reserving space for ongoing reflections that embrace the future. This unceasing evolution remains true to the core of her vision, underscoring an unbreakable link between heritage and modernity. Yala crafts her pieces with attention to detail, manipulating textures and juxtapositions. Through her process, she reconfigures memories and lived encounters, ushering them into new and transformative forms. With an academic foundation in African Studies and Anthropology, Sofia ventured further into the realm of creativity, culminating in her 2021 achievement of an Arts Master’s degree in Film & Photography. In 2022, the artist had her inaugural solo exhibitions in Lisbon and Brighton, offering audiences an encounter with her narratives. Additionally, her series shone at the 13th Bamako Encounters African Biennale of Photography and recently became a participant in the 5th edition of the Nesr Art Foundation residency in Luanda.