At Michigan State University, creative inquiry and expression are integral to advancing knowledge, the cornerstone of our mission. Spartans illustrate every day the varied ways that the arts are an essential part of the MSU experience. Arts MSU’s Spartan Portrait Series shines a spotlight on students who are doing amazing things in the arts during their time here on campus.

Photographer and installation artist Vadu Rodrigues found his life's mission on a 2016 backpacking trip across Africa: to challenge the world's negative perceptions through art.

Now, as an MFA candidate at MSU, he is developing his practice and building a community around his project, Positive Africa, a growing platform for artists to share the continent's beauty and reshape its narrative.

Watch the video below to learn more about Rodrigues and view more Spartan Portraits here.