VADU RODRIGUES

Born in 1987, Praia, Cape Verde;

SPEAKER OF 5 LANGUAGES - Kriolo, English, Portuguese, Spanish, French,

WORLD TRAVELER, 31 COUNTRIES - Austria, Brazil, Benin, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Guinea Bissau, Ghana, Germany, Hungary, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Kenya, Luxembourg, Nigeria, Poland, Portugal, Italy, Spain, Slovakia, Slovenia, Sweden, Senegal, Switzerland, Togo, The Gambia, The Netherlands, USA.

EDUCATION

2026 - Master of Fine Arts, Studio Art, Michigan State University - MI, USA;

09/2013 - Computer Science Degree - University of Madeira, Portugal;

AWARDS / GRANTS / FELLOWSHIPS

08/2025 - AAHD Professional Development Fellowship - MSU, MI, USA;

04/2025 - Varg-Sullivan Endowed Graduate Award, by the College of Arts & Letters - MSU, MI, USA;

04/2025 - Summer Support Fellowship - MSU, MI, USA;

03/2025 - 2025 Stanley & Selma Hollander Award, by the Department of Art, Art History, and Design - MSU, MI, USA

03/2025 - 2025 Emerging Leaders Award, by Black Faculty, Staff, and Administrators Association (BFSAA) - MSU, MI, USA;

03/2025 - 2025 Nnamdi Azikiwe Award, by The African Studies Center - MSU, MI, USA;

11/2024 - COGS Disciplinary Leadership Award - MSU, MI, USA;

08/2024 - AAHD Professional Development Fellowship - MSU, MI, USA;

11/2023 - Travel Grants, Africa Study Centre - MSU, MI, USA;

10/2023 - West African Leadership Summit 2023, WALEC - Lagos, Nigeria;

03/2023 - Distinguished Alumni Award, University of Madeira - Portugal;

07/2022 - Mandela Washington Fellowship;

EXHIBITIONS

SOLO

01/2025 - “CAN WE ALL STOP PRETENDING?” - LookOut Gallery, RCAH - MSU - MI, USA;

09/2024 - “CAN WE ALL STOP PRETENDING?” - Kresge Art Centre, AAHD - MSU - MI, USA;

05/2024 - Popup Exhibition, University of Port Harcourt - Nigeria;

12/2022 - POSITIVE AFRICA (a partnership with the EU) - Praia, Cabo Verde;

07/2022 - POSITIVE WEST AFRICA, MSU - MI, USA

11/2021 - PÉ NA TXADA - Praia, Cape Verde;

05/2014 - RABISKA NHA TEMPO - Praia, Cape Verde;

GROUP

03/2025 - 2026 MFA Exhibition Showcases the Work of Five Artist-Scholars - Broad Eli Art Museum - EL, MI, USA;

10/2025 - Local Source, Local Sources: an exhibit of zines, prints, and books, City of East Lansing and East Lansing Public Library - (SCENE) Metrospace Gallery, MI, USA;

08/2025 - MFA Candidate Group Show, AAHD - MSU, MI, USA;

08/2024 - Cabo Verde, Entre Terras e Mar, Parthenay, France;

08/2024 - MFA Candidate Group Show, AAHD - MSU, MI, USA;

03/2023 - “Creativity in time of Covid-19”- MI, USA;

08/2023 - AAHD MFA Candidate Group Show - MSU, MI, USA;

11/2020 - URBAN INSTALLATION POSITIVE SANTIAGO - Santa Cruz, Cape Verde;

09/2013 - THE DREAMERS PROJECT - Pergine, Italy;

TEACHING EXPERIENCE / ARTIST TALKS / CONFERENCE / RESIDENCY

02/2026 - CAA 114th Annual Conference, SPEAKER - African Art, Western Market - Chicago, IL, USA

10/2025 - SPE Midwest Chapter, SPEAKER, Photography to challenge the negative narrative of Africa - Detroit, MI, USA;

08/2025 - 12/2025 - INSTRUCTOR OF RECORD STA370 PHOTO 1, Department of Art, Art History, and Design - MSU, MI, USA;

08/2024 - 12/2024 - INSTRUCTOR OF RECORD STA370 PHOTO 1, Department of Art, Art History, and Design - MSU, MI, USA;

09/2024 - ARTIST TALK, During the exhibition “CAN WE ALL STOP PRETENDING?”, Residential College of Art and Humanities - MSU, MI, USA;

06/2024 - 08/2024 - MANDELA WASHINGTON FELLOWSHIP 2024, Art Facilitator and Communication Expertise, College of Art and Letters - MSU, MI, USA;

05/2024 - 06/2024 - FACILITATOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY WORKSHOP, Popup Exhibition, University of Port Harcourt - Nigeria;

08/2023 - 04/2024 - TEACHING ASSISTANT, Department of Art, Art History and Design - MSU, MI, USA

09/2023 - UBUNTU GATHERING, Workshop Facilitator, Eye on Africa, Africa Study Centre - MSU, MI, USA;

11/2023 - Africa No Filter Summit 2023, SPEAKER - Nairobi, Kenya;

07/2022 - Pé Na Txada at CCM, SPEAKER - Mindelo, Cape Verde;

06/2022 - Artist Talk at Lansing Art Gallery, SPEAKER - Lansing, MI, USA;

05/2022 - Pé Na Txada at CCCV, SPEAKER - Lisbon, Portugal;

09/2021 - TEDx Speaker - TEDxPraia - Praia, Cape Verde;

06/2021 - AFRICAN PHOTOJOURNALIST DATABASE (APJD) - World Press Photography;

02/2020 - VII IGNITE TALK, Speaker - Praia, Cape Verde;

06/2023 - 07/2023 - MANDELA WASHINGTON FELLOWSHIP 2024, Facilitator - MSU, MI, USA;

12/2022 - US-AFRICA LEADERS SUMMIT 2022 - Invited by former Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Washington, DC, USA;

09/2013 - Residency - THE DREAMERS PROJECT - Pergine, Italy;

INTERVIEWS

10/2025 - Vadu Rodrigues: Changing the World’s View of Africa, by ART MSU, MSU

02/2025 - Article MFA Candidate Uses Art to Create Positive Africa Movement, Challenging Negative Perceptions of the Continent and Black Diaspora, by College of Arts & Letters, MSU;

01/2025 - Listed among 5 African photographers changing Africa's visual perceptions, by Africa No Filter - Digital, Africa;

04/2024 - Article Tro-Tro, TenderPhoto - Digital, Africa

12/2023 - Article, Pé Na Txada, LOLWE - London, UK

11/2022 - Interview with Rumos, RTP África - Lisbon, Portugal;

08/2022 - Article about Positive Africa, Balai - Praia, Cabo Verde

08/2022 - Article about Positive Africa, Expresso das ilhas - Praia, Cabo Verde

08/2022 - FRAME, RTC - Praia, Cabo Verde;

12/2021 - Morning Show, RTC - Praia, Cabo Verde;

03/2021 - Falemos da CDAO - Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Praia, Cabo Verde;

PUBLICATIONS/COLLABORATION

11/2021 - SOJU PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT, Photographer, NYC, USA;

11/2021 - DESTAS ILHAS QUE SE TORNOU APELIDO, Photographer in an article about Dino d’Santiago by the newspaper Expresso Portugal, Lisbon, Portugal;

09/2021 - PROJECTO XALABAS, Book, Praia, Cape Verde;

03/2020 - WORLD HISTORY ABOUT COVID-19, Photographer, dearwold.com, USA;

PHOTOJOURNALISM / EVENTS / CONCEPTUAL

08/2024 - Collaboration with WKAR in an Article, Photographer - MI, USA;

03/2023 - 09/2022 - 04/2022 - 4/2019 - 4/2018 - SPRING BREAK PORTUGAL FESTIVAL, Photography Coordenador, Albufeira, Portugal;

08/2019 - TBLF (THEA BARNES LEGACY FOUND), a collaboration with THE LION KING MUSICAL, Event Photographer, Lyceum Theatre, London, UK;

02/2019 - FIMO 228, Event photographer, Lome, Togo;

01/2019 - VOICE SMITH, Editorial for a brand, London, UK;