Bruno Oliveira

Heavenly Doggies explores the presence of stray dogs in Cape Verde – unobtrusive yet inseparable figures in the streets and landscapes they inhabit. Long relegated to the margins, they live alongside the locals and have become the silent guardians of the island of Santo Antão.

Through this series, I have chosen to elevate them to the status of iconographic, almost sacred figures, in order to restore their place and dignity. The images blend portraits with fragments of places, revealing the spaces where these dogs find refuge, rest and a sense of belonging.

Printed on watercolour paper, some of the photographs are enhanced by hand with watercolour and gold leaf, creating luminous halos inspired by stained-glass windows and religious imagery. These embellishments transform the dogs into protective figures, silent witnesses to a land being re-enchanted.

This work invites us to slow down our gaze and rethink our connection to the living world, through these modest yet essential presences.

Bruno Oliveira (born in Portugal in 1993) lives and works in Luxembourg. As a visual artist and visual poet, he combines photography and video in his practice to explore memory, absence and feelings of belonging.

Rooted in the intimate and nourished by collective narratives, his work transforms lived experiences into sensitive images in which reality and fiction intermingle, giving rise to fragmented, deeply human narratives.

Exhibition views © Cité de l'image / Hype / CAL