Mehak Vieira is the Director and Founder of Jahmek Contemporary Art, a dynamic platform promoting a critical and provocative dialogue about artistic and visual expression in Luanda, Angola. Raised in Luanda, Viera founded the gallery alongside Jardel Vieira in 2018 with the vision of strengthening the artistic infrastructure in Angola for the next generation. Over the past five years, she has worked with emerging and established artists with ties to the country to build an ambitious program of exhibitions, events, fair presentations and more. Her leadership has gained international recognition of Jahmek Contemporary Art, building its reputation as a prominent player in the African contemporary art scene by exhibiting at major events including the Venice Biennale 2024, Art Basel 2022, Art Dubai 2022 and Arco Madrid 2021, among others.
She and Zuckerman discuss not coming from an art background, the Angola art scene, being entrepreneurial, why their program matters for the country, elitism, access to information, archiving the narrative, legacy, love, art fairs, how things come together, courage, and why art matters!