There are a lot of popular art styles in the Democratic Republic of the Congo currently. From digital art to collages, Congolese artists have talents and creative minds that reach places other civilizations wouldn’t expect.
While Western influence cannot be discounted for some of the newer trends in Congolese art, many artists from the DRC have expressed their desires for people to experience their art within the borders of their country, or at the very least, their continent. Paris recently held an exhibit that featured 41 different artists and over 350 works from the DRC that was a huge success. In fact, most Congolese artists have been experiencing international fame due to their imaginative and creative styles. It’s art that many people have never seen before. If only they would be willing to make the trip and in order to appreciate it fully and properly.
Below are some examples of the different forms of art and their artists.
Kiripi Katembo and his 2011 photograph, “Subir”
Cheri Samba and his 2014 piece, “Oui, il faut reflechir”
Eddy Kumuanga Ilunga and his 2015 piece, “To deny value of cultural identity”
Additionally, Cheri Samba founded an art school in the DRC’s capital, Kinshasa, called the Zaire School of Popular Painting. Since its beginnings during the ’70s, the school has been tracking the vibrant life of Kinshasa and features work from not only Samba, but other African artists like Moke, Cheri Cherin, and Bodo as well.
Much of the art featured in the school showcases certain challenges that people in the DRC face today, like sexuality, politics, and conflict. For the most part, the artists involved with the school (or the movement, as it is also considered) were pretty disengaged with the mainstream art world. This allowed them to produce gritty, true, and joyful works, and it’s considered one of the “most influential African art movements of the 20th century” (theculturetrip.com)
http://www.cnn.com/2015/07/22/arts/congo-contemporary-art-exhibition-paris/
http://www.jackbellgallery.com/artists/28-steve-bandoma/overview/
The Democratic Republic of the Congo 