#rep2017

SOUSA DOMINGOS

Sousa Domingos Jr is a ’95 photographer: a storyteller, artist and visionary, postgraduate in Information Systems at ITC and an undergrad in Computer Engineering.

“I had this wonderful mom that passed away ... and now I live to remember her paths ; her memories are the thing that keeps me motivated,” he fondly introduced himself to REPRESENT. He proceeded, “I also have four older brothers that I love and support myself with whatever I need.”

Sousa when young had nothing to worry about because his mother worked arduously so it would remain that way. At the ease of that freedom, as any other of his age, he loved to play around with his friends. Programming, designing, playing games was his ideal of fun back in his childhood thus the second degree in Computer Engineering – passion.

Toknowmymind is one of Sousa’s hidden chest of stories based on his thoughts due to his shyness. It’s a fruit of his frustration with everything, attempting and failing to conclude. The idea was to understand himself and get to the bottom of his issue visually and through writing to then read through and figure out.

Sousa: I look back today and I didn't even start off to finish understanding myself *laughs* in the end it didn't go that well

Mid-2010, his sister brought home a camera and memories state that that was when his journey switched lanes. Two years had gone by from when he started without knowing the essence of the art of photography. It was by the grace of the people who joined him along his journey, the new vision of life and comprehension of the world that his perception of it became objectively refined.

He shares with REP of the difficulty that it is to acquire photography equipment as these tend to be expensive and scarce round Mozambique. As his mother had the urge to help his passion not live forgotten the struggle was real until wedding photography came around. The pebbles on the path started flourishing and the income from capturing the joy of couples’ vows allowed him to overcome the then financial barriers and furthermore.

Sousa met his dear mentors, root of support and inspiration a couple dedicated to wedding photography, mid 2014. Thereafter, storytelling the course of a wedding visually became his passion and identity.

I love arts, I love to look to things on a different way and with photography I can simple do that!  That is the reason he put his head onto the creation of a community, a movement. A movement to allow an unusual vision, entitling ourselves as the storytellers of our own, stories of our quotidianne, happiness, strength and ability. So together with his friends he started behindyourvision which intends to portray the world as they see it. Although it isn’t easy at all, inevitably mountain-high and ocean-floor, he feels that he joggles with both situations optimally. He describes the experience as sleeping at home on his bed, dreaming.

In 2021, Sousa sees himself as an explorer of the world, capturing his vision of the truely happy manner. Beyond the 2020s he envisions himself surrounded by those who are inspired through and enjoy his creation .

I want to be remembered, one day. I want to be remembered as someone that brought change or at least helped. I want to be remembered as someone that made a difference. That’s why I struggle so much, because beyond that, I want to be myself.

Note: The last piece has undergone a translation and formatting of text to accommodate the primary language of the blog and allow better understanding to our readers.

Catch Sousa cruising on the following social media:

WALTER NGULELA

Walter J. Rofino Ngulela is a ’97 Maputo, Mozambique borne. He is a graphics designer since 2012 and is currently studying Civil Engineering. 

It all started as little curiosity cease when his friend and himself decided to attempt doing Vector Cartoon illustration style in Photoshop as Youtube apprentices. As any skillful undergoes so did they, day by day the improvement made itself visible.

“One day, someone approached me and asked how much I charged for my craft, but I did not do it for money,” Walter tells REPRESENT. In what he saw a hobby time taught him that a hobby can make a metical. Bewildered by his own discovered he took the first step of entitling himself for all his worth – graphics designer. He put upon himself the responsibility of honouring his choice by learning more and more. 

Today he believes that he stands at a position of dominance over the basic necessities of a great graphic designer. Walter has basic knowledge in functioning with over 5 software applications but above it all, that that lies within him which is the spirit of a graphics designer.

Today, he works as a freelancer in branding and collaborates with Community Twaan,  Mbalelembalele and other Mozambican brands.

Amongst it all he does illustrations during his free time after all that’s how it all started, with illustrations.

The beast of Graphics Design always lived in me. The discovery of this/it, made me seek to set it free. Today we live side by side, showing love and divinity in all our craft.

 Note: The last piece has undergone a translation and formatting of text to accommodate the primary language of the blog and allow better understanding to our readers.