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Helga Gamboa

Helga Gamboa was born in Angola in 1961. In 1975 the country gained independence from Portugal and in 1978, after finishing an art teaching course, Gamboa worked in community arts projects and also taught art to orphans of war.

In 1993 Gamboa and her English husband settled in Bristol, England. She studied for both a BA and an MA in ceramics at University of the West of England.

"My work is inspired by Angolan craft and the need for cultural identity… I have been exploring the ceramics made by Angolan women and its role in the community. I have a deep interest in forms or decorations as well as a fascination with the techniques, rituals and taboos involved in making these artefacts."

Her work uses the processes of hand-building, burnishing, sawdust firing and finally wax polishing. These vessels are both functional and decorative.