Mario Pedro Soares

Mario Pedro Soares, originally from Mozambique, relocated to South Africa in 2008, where he began his journey as an artist/embroiderer with Boitumelo in Hillbrow. His artistic path led him to the Artist Proof Studio in 2010, culminating in his graduation in 2013. Soares dedicated himself to mastering etching, focusing on steel plates, through a rigorous process of discovery and experimentation. His work often explores themes of growth, travel, and migration, using the metaphor of the road and featuring faceless subjects to comment on the invisibility immigrants often feel in a new country, amidst fears of xenophobia.

In 2014, Soares expanded his career by becoming an intern at APS's Pro-Shop, eventually establishing his own studio, SO:MO: Basement Printmaking Fine Arts Studio. His artistic endeavors have led to participation in numerous solo and group exhibitions, as well as art fairs, particularly in Johannesburg (Turbine Art Fair) and Cape Town.

Notable solo exhibitions include "Evolution" at Gallery 2 in 2017 and "Africa" at Art Lovers Gallery, Pretoria in 2018. His group exhibitions span several years and venues, with highlights at the Cape Town Arts Fair and the Artist Proof Studio in 2019, Julie Miller Autumn Arts Collective in 2019, Rosebank Rotary Arts Festival in 2019, and "A Journey in Co-Creation" at the University of Johannesburg’s FADA Gallery in 2019, among others. These exhibitions not only showcase Soares' technical skill and thematic focus but also his significant contribution to the contemporary art scene in South Africa.

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