Sofia Yala

Available for commissions and collaborations

Sofia Yala, born in Lisbon in 1994, is an Angolan/Portuguese photographer. She has a BA in African Studies and an MA in Anthropology & Visual Cultures. In 2021, she obtained an MA in Arts: Film & Photography in the UK.

Yala's artwork explores archival material and unexpected encounters in life, conveying storytelling through different times, textures, and layers. Sofia Yala's work reflects on the (dis)construction of identity as a diasporic or transatlantic body in our vast and intricate world. While photography is central to their artistic process, Sofia also enjoys experimenting with other formats and compositions to present their work.

The artist describes their practice as a hybrid, viewing it as an ongoing endeavour that is never truly complete. By rethinking and revisiting the past, Sofia leaves room for further reflection in the future without compromising the essence of the present. They pay meticulous attention to details such as textures and combinations to reshape memories and experiences.

Photographed by Arsène Mpiana

Workshops/ Residencies/Masterclasses

Hangar X LE 18 " Residencies in Transit" - Le 18, Morocco (2024)

Nesr Art Foudation Residency - NAF, Angola (2023)

East Meets West Masterclasses - FORMAT, QUAD, and GRAIN Projects (2021 -2022)

From a Distance Calling - Hangar, Portugal (2021)

How to Articulate (a) Collective Gaze(s)? - Hangar, Online (2021)

Activating our Archives - Modern Art Oxford, UK (2020)

LUUANDA, Collective Pés Descalços, Angola (2019) 

PALOP Mobility UPCycles, Mozambique (2019)

Afroeuropeans Residency, Portugal (2019)

Catchupa Factory, AOJE, Cape Verde (2018)

Re-imagine the Empire - Colonial projections in the Cinema, Hangar, Portugal (2018)

Thinking the Territory, Hangar, Portugal (2018)

Photography and the Power to Tell Stories, Hangar, Portugal (2017)