Júlia Nacheque

Clay as a vessel of women’s narratives

Júlia Nacheque belongs to the remarkable school of Makonde women ceramicists of northern Mozambique — the circle formed around Reinata Sadimba, in which tradition reserves the clay for women's hands and each generation reworks it anew. With Reinata Sadimba and Merina Amade she forms the trio of Makonde ceramicists who, as the Portuguese press wrote, 'decided to put their hands in the clay and with it retake and update the traditions of that matriarchal society of northern Mozambique'.

In her hands, clay becomes a vessel of feminine narratives and multiple maternities — figures and vessels marked with the geometric motifs that evoke ritual, spirits and fertility. In 2025 she took part in the Maia Biennial of Contemporary Art (Fulgor, Fórum da Maia, Portugal), alongside Reinata Sadimba, Merina Amade, Malangatana, Alberto Chissano and Gonçalo Mabunda.