KostadinLuchansky - “Angola is the place where I learned to see – and to feel.”

There are eyes that record the visible and others that reveal the invisible. KostadinLuchansky’s vision belongs to both categories. Bulgarian by birth, Angolan at heart – and now by nationality – he has turned his camera into an instrument of memory and celebration. His work reveals an authentic Angola – vibrant, diverse and luminous – as seen by someone who has learned to love it from within. Founder of the Angola Image Bank, he has created a veritable visual heritage of the country: an archive of natural beauty, faces, traditions and emotions that silently tell the story of a proud, strong and vivacious people. His work is more than just photography: it is memory, it is identity, it is an homage.

You were born in Bulgaria, but arrived in Angola as a teenager and built your life here. What led you to this country and what made you stay? 
I arrived in Angola at the age of fifteen, accompanying my parents, who came to work in Luanda. It was 1990 – a time of contrasts, but also of hope. The war meant I lived most of my first fifteen years in Luanda, but I always dreamed of seeing the whole of Angola – the Angola of postcards, maps, atlases and books that described it. When the war came to an end, I began to gradually discover the rest of the country – a land that has taught me to see the world differently. What made me stay was that invisible force that Angola has – human, luminous and unpredictable. I have always been welcomed with open arms and have made hundreds of friends who remain dear to this day. Today, I am also Angolan in my soul, in my heart and by right.

“I was always welcomed with open arms and made hundreds of friends that I still have today.”

Over the years, you have travelled the country from north to south, from the coast to the central plateau, from rainforests to deserts, in particular on epic expeditions for National Geographic. Which image has left the deepest impression on you? 
It is almost impossible to choose a single image that has left an impression on me. Angola is a country of a thousand faces – each province is a world apart, with its very own landscapes, light, people and traditions. Everywhere I have visited, I have come across genuine people, with heart-warming hospitality, custodians of cultures and rituals that time has not yet managed to erase. Moxico– now split into north and south – is perhaps what impressed me the most: for the vastness of its untouched miombo woodlands, its transparent lagoons where you can drink water straight out of your hands, its countless crystal-clear streams and rivers, and the rare feeling of being in a place that is still pristine, where nature dictates the pace of life. Huíla, for its part, is a place of contrasts. The cold mornings, the thin mountain air, the mist and then – out of nowhere – the dizzying descent down the Serra da Leba road, where the clouds dissolve into haze and the horizon opens up to the Namibe desert. This is one of those moments when you realise that Angola is more than a country, it is a crossroads between worlds. The offshore oil and gas exploration operations also impressed me greatly for their complexity and advanced technology.In Malanje, being able to see, up close, the Giant Sable Antelope – endemic to Angola and a national symbol – photographing, filming and counting the herds with a drone in their natural environment, helping to preserve this animal with the Kissama Foundation and, in particular, with Dr Pedro Vaz Pinto...these were unique experiences.

Angola Image Bank is now an outstanding visual archive and an invaluable reference. How did this idea come about and what is its mission? 
It came about from a desire to organise the beautiful chaos of my travels. I had been photographing Angola for decades and realised there was an urgent need to preserve, catalogue and share this visual heritage. The Angola Image Bank is a bridge: between the past and the future, between local and global viewpoints. The mission is clear – that of showing Angola as it is, with truth and dignity – and creating a database that will be of use to artists, researchers, the media and future generations. This is my contribution to the country’s collective memory. 

You studied biology. Has this scientific outlook influenced the way you photograph? 
Absolutely. Biology taught me to observe before acting, to see rather than just look, to understand the rhythms of nature, to recognise invisible patterns. When I photograph, I use that same curiosity I had in the field of research: I try to understand the behaviour of light, the movement of people, the connection between humans and the environment. Photographers and biologists share the same passion – to discover and document.

“The Angola Image Bank is a bridge: between the past and the future, between the local perspective and the global perspective.”

Which Angola would you like to show the world – the one you see or the one you feel? 
I would like to show both, because one fuels the other. The one I see is made up of colours, textures and contrasts; the one I feel is made up of emotion, pride and resilience. Our Angola is vibrant, complex and beautiful – an Angola that does not conform to stereotypes, but which is revealed in everyday life: in a market, in a sunset over the sea, in an act of solidarity between strangers.

As someone who grew up here and has become Angolan, what fascinates you most about the people of this country? 
Their ability to start over. That is something I deeply admire. Angolans know how to laugh on the toughest of days, to dream even when they have almost nothing. There is a quiet generosity, a willingness to share life. They have taught me that time is not measured in haste, but rather in intensity. Angola has taught me to be patient, to listen, to trust my instincts – and to never give up.

Angola is going through a continuous process of transformation. What signs of development impress you the most and what challenges remain? 
The dynamic energy of young people is the greatest sign of the future. There is talent, there is creativity, there is a desire for change. But the challenge lies in striking a balance between modernity and tradition. Progress is essential, but it cannot erase who we are. Local cultures, our relationship with nature and our collective memory are treasures that need to be preserved. True development is development that values our roots.

“Our Angola is vibrant, complex, and beautiful—an Angola that cannot be confined to stereotypes [...]”

Photography has the power to create memory and identity. Do you feel that your work helps Angolans to rediscover pride in their country? 
I hope it does. When someone writes to me saying that a photograph has reminded them of their homeland, or that they have recognised something forgotten in it, I feel that the cycle is being completed. Photography is not just about aesthetics – it is about belonging. It is the mirror in which a people can see and rediscover itself. 

After so many years, what does Angola mean to you today? 
It means home, belonging and purpose. Angola is the place where I learned to see – and to feel. It is where I found my vision, but also where I continue to learn with each passing day. It is a country that has shaped me and to which I owe almost everything I am as a person and as a photographer.

“Angolans know how to laugh on difficult days, to dream even when almost everything is lacking. There is a quiet generosity, a willingness to share life.”