For Vadu Rodrigues, there is no separating art from activism. Growing up in Cape Verde, an island nation off the coast of West Africa, he uses his art — and the Positive Africa creative movement he founded — to challenge negative stereotypes about the continent and its people by highlighting its history, culture, and communities.
“I see art as a powerful means to communicate,” he said. “Positive Africa is more than just a momentum or a hashtag. I see it as my lifetime goal.”
This personal mission has become the central anchor of Rodrigues’ work. He is one of five MFA candidates in MSU’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design graduating in Spring 2026 whose thesis work is featured in the 2026 MFA Exhibition at the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum through May 17, 2026.
His thesis exhibit, titled “A Quiet Reverence,” that is part of the MFA Exhibition celebrates African beauty and the complexity of the African identity.
“My practice draws deeply from memory and from traditions across West Africa and the African diaspora,” Rodrigues said. “I am inspired by cultural practices such as Yoruba in Nigeria, Akan in Ghana, Wolof in Senegal, Vodou art in Haiti, and Tabanca traditions in Cape Verde, among others.”
Using primarily textiles — fabrics, wax prints, and fishing nets — all materials collected during his travels throughout Africa, Rodrigues conveys stories and traditions from the African communities he visited.
“Many of the materials used in my assemblages carry cultural significance. They are not intended as decorative elements, but rather function as communicative tools, full of meaning, memory, and history,” Rodrigues said. “Through these actions and performances, I engage in acts of cultural resistance, channeling stories, practices, and forms of knowledge that remain vibrant and deeply rooted in these regions.”
Rodrigues also draws from the imagery of synthetic fabrics as a way to comment on industrialized modes of production.
“These materials speak to the displacement and gradual disappearance of traditional makers, such as African weavers and artisans who have historically created textiles, baskets, and crafts using natural fibers and ancestral techniques,” he said. “These practices form a vital cultural heritage, and my work seeks to acknowledge both their resilience and the tensions created by global industrial systems.”
An auditory component of the exhibition includes sounds from the locations where the displayed items were collected, fully immersing viewers in the experience. While feeling the texture of a fishing net, they might hear the sounds of water or calls from people fishing.
Through this work, Rodrigues continues his effort to challenge negative stereotypes often imposed on people from the African continent, while inviting viewers to reflect on the complexity of African identities and the sacredness of their bodies.
Ultimately, his goal is to encourage patrons to ask questions about African culture while examining their own biases and replacing negative images with more creative, colorful, and inspiring ones.
This work builds upon a prior exhibition, “Can We All Stop Pretending,” at the MSU Kresge Art Center, where Rodrigues removed skin color and facial features from photographs of African people. It was his way of asking viewers to leave their preconceptions about race and skin color behind.
As the recipient of the 2025 Varg-Sullivan Endowed Graduate Award for Outstanding Achievement in the Arts, Rodrigues has exhibited his artwork internationally. He also received the 2025 MSU Graduate Student Emerging Leader Award presented by the Black Faculty, Staff, and Administrators Association (BFSAA).
Following graduation, he plans to take a couple months to decompress after the hectic pace of classes and preparing for the exhibition.
“I try to live in the present and not predict anything,” Rodrigues said. “I want to be open for whatever the universe is going to bring and be willing to accept it.”
MFA Program and Exhibition
The 2026 MFA Exhibition is the culmination of a three-year program offered by MSU’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design in which the artist-scholars push the existing limits of art while exploring their creative practice with the support of a faculty committee selected by each MFA candidate.
Under the guidance of their faculty committees, MFA candidates develop a rigorous studio practice and engage in extensive study in a medium or area of concentration. Their work is informed by their curiosity of the world around them and complemented by coursework in the history of art and related fields.
While developing their thesis exhibitions, MFA candidates work with their committees to refine their research and artistic goals, deepening their understanding of what it means to be a contemporary practicing artist. The MFA Exhibition serves as evidence of their achievements and continuing artistic and scholarly promise.
The MFA Exhibition is organized by the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum in partnership with MSU’s Department of Art, Art History, and Design and curated by Rachel Winter, Ph.D., Assistant Curator, with support from Nat Swartz, Curatorial Research Assistant. Support for this exhibition is provided by the Graduate School at MSU and the John and Susan Berding Family Endowment.
The Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum is open Wednesday-Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission is always free.
By Colleen Gehoski Steinman
