Traditional sculpture
In the Congo, cultural practices are determined by ethnicity. The Musée du Bassin du Congo in Brazzaville, a museum dedicated to traditional art, showcases the diversity of Congolese ethnic groups through its collection of sculptures.
The Kwele, who live between Gabon and Congo, are renowned for their sculpted masks. There are different types: pibibudzè with a human face, sometimes with two faces, but also zoomorphic masks with trunks, horns or gorilla heads. The rarer ngontangang is a multi-faceted palm mask. These masks are worn for ceremonies. Conversely, ekuk are hung inside houses to attract beneficial forces. They can be recognized by their flat white face and triangular nose.
The Mbede-Obamba, attached to ancestor worship, prefer to model clay figurines.
Babangi masks can be recognized by their concave surface, pierced by two slits for the eyes and a conical mouth. Scarification marks stripe the cheeks and forehead.
The beginnings of Congolese painting
The art of painting began to develop around 1940. However, in the 1920s, Belgian administrator Georges Thiry fell in love with the hut decorations and became a patron of the arts. Djilatendo and Lubaki are considered the precursors of the modern movement.
One of the first painters to make his mark in the Congo, Eugène Malonga was born in 1930 in Nko, not far from Brazzaville. From an early age, he won admirers by drawing on clothes. At the age of 10, he produced his first watercolor: la case de mon oncle Boundzoumou. Enrolling at the Poto-Poto School, he perfected his technique, painting mainly landscapes and genre scenes. His first exhibition took place in 1954. Others followed throughout West and Central Africa. Gradually, his style moved towards abstraction. Until his death in 2005, Malonga made the world aware of the beauty of Congolese landscapes.
L'Atelier du Hangar
In 1941, Pierre Romain-Desfossés (1887-1954) was commissioned to protect indigenous art. He set about founding a creative center. The first school of its kind in the Congo, "Le Hangar" opened its doors in Brazzaville in 1946. The most promising students were trained in easel painting; the others in decorative and advertising art. Desfossés' aim was not to impose Western codes, but to bring out a different kind of African art. To this end, he encouraged his disciples to create in the wilderness, on the savannah. Desfossés is convinced that their talent will succeed in conveying the soul of the Congo. Le Hangar gave rise to a popular art form based on flora and fauna. Colonial audiences were so enamored of the Hangar's paintings that today we wonder whether this teaching might not have served colonial propaganda purposes. The debate remains open..
The Hangar's most famous pupil, Mwenze Kibwanga (1925-1999), remained faithful to easel painting throughout his career. Mwenze Kibwanga joined the Hangar in 1950 and developed a unique style, based on an earthy palette and hatching technique. This system of strokes is in the tradition of Kasai tapestries. Along with other talents trained at the workshop, such as Mwenze Kibwanga, Pilipili Mulongoy (1914-2007) and Sylvestre Kaballa (b. 1920), he exhibited in France, Belgium, Italy and even New York.
The momentum continued in 1951, with the creation of the Poto-Poto School by Pierre Lods in Brazzaville. Four generations of talented artists would emerge from this art workshop, now an institution. More than just teaching, Lods invited his students to let their spontaneity speak for itself. Félix Ossali developed the Miké style (meaning "small"), composed of small, schematic figures. The next generation of students adopted the acronym PPP under the direction of Pierre Claver Ngampio.
Modern sculpture
The father of modern Congolese sculpture, Muta Mayola is at the origin of a major school of African art. His origins are not well known. Born around 1885 in Equatorial Africa, he died in Kinshasa in 1960. It seems that he was introduced to traditional Teke (Bantu) sculpture at an early age in the village of Massengo. Formerly known as Kingoma, this village lies some ten kilometers from the capital. His talent, noticed as early as the 1930s, attracted commissions from village chiefs and settlers alike.
In his workshop in Kigoma, he developed a style that he passed on to his disciples for some forty years. Among his pupils were his nephews Benoît Konongo and Grégoire Massengo, who passed on his legacy. When he founded the sculpture school in Léopoldville (Kinshasa) in the 1950s, his nephews took over the running of his Kingoma workshop and set about spreading his style. His influence is felt in Cameroon, Gabon, Chad, Senegal and as far afield as Kenya.
The bas-reliefs created by Muta Mayola at Charles Lejeune's property on the N'Galiema corniche are among the few remaining sculptures of this style in the Congo, most having been purchased by European collectors. Made with a small knife, a shard of glass and a small hammer, his works demonstrate an exceptional sense of composition.
Mayola and his disciples became famous throughout Africa. His nephew Benoît Konongo (1919-2007) opens the Galerie Konongo in Brazzaville, now run by his son. The gallery is one of the last high places for Congolese sculpture, as the younger generation has abandoned this technique.
The influence of Grégoire Massengo (1910-1978) was immense between 1950 and his death. He exhibited in Brazzaville as early as 1940 with his cousin Benoît Konongo. Following in his uncle's footsteps, he was commissioned to create sculptures for a house in Kinkala (Pool region). Such was his success that his village of Kingoma was renamed Massengo! Surrounded by students and assistants, Massengo worked tirelessly for the rest of his life. His wenge wood busts and giant heads are among his most acclaimed works. His most famous work, however, is the bust of the Teke queen Ngalifourou, created for her funeral. Grégoire Massengo was chosen to represent his country at the Dakar Festival of Black African Arts in 1966 and the Lagos Festival in 1977.
Photo boom
Victor Miakabana, aka Macabus, is one of the first Congolese to adopt photography as a means of expressing his talent. Born in 1950, he made his debut in 1971, at a time when prints were sent to France to be developed. After learning the technical basics from the photographer DeKoum in Brazzaville, he soon received commissions, including from President Marien Ngouabi. Assigned to cover the Congolese soccer team's matches, he travelled the continent. In 1991, he took portraits of political leaders at major national conferences.
Later, young photographers keen to break into the industry joined the Génération Elili collective. Together, they show their work in alternative locations: shops, schools, churches and markets.
Robert Nzaou develops the street photography. Having come to art through music, rap and poetry, Nzaou had a revelation when he discovered the work of Henri Cartier Bresson. He then adopted the camera to tell stories. He believes that only a chromatic approach can convey images of Africa. In his magnificently graphic photos, his models are staged to evoke universal themes such as food. He works in series: the Leki series evokes siblings, while Louzolo is about love. In his latest series, he uses digital collage to assemble several shots. In 2020, Robert Nzaou launched the "j'expose chez moi" (I exhibit at my home) concept. The public is seduced by the idea of visiting the artist's home to discover his work.
In 2019, the birth of FAAP - Fédération Africaine sur l'Art photographique - consecrates this mode of expression in Congo-Brazzaville.
Contemporary art
Like many African countries, the Congo is a melting pot for contemporary art. The explosion of talent attracts gallerists and collectors from the four corners of the globe. Since 2012, Congo-Brazzaville has hosted the Rencontres internationales d'art contemporain - RIAC. Private galleries are opening their doors. Brazza Art Galerie, run by collector Sandra Plachesi, becomes the first contemporary art gallery in Brazzaville. The aim was to promote artists from Equatorial Africa, with an emphasis on talent from the two Congo regions. Also in Brazzaville, the Ateliers Sahm and the Exhibition Centre of the Institut Français (French Institute) de Brazzaville support innovative creative projects while spotlighting young local artists.
Contemporary Congolese art is unique in that it places people and the environment at the heart of its themes. From a pictorial point of view, whether figurative or abstract, it is joyful and colorful.
Winner of the Prix Dior de la photographie in 2020, Pamela Tulizo was born in Bukavu in 1994. Her mission is to reveal another facet of the Congo through her photos. Proud to have appropriated a technique once reserved for men, she advocates gender equality. Her Double identité series has strengthened her international reputation.
The Kati village (5 rue Père Pierre, Pointe-Noire, Loandjili district) is home to an artistic creation space. The frescoes on the facade are created by graffiti artists in residence. Also in Pointe-Noire, the history of the Congo unfolds on the long wall of the Tchimbamba elementary school. A frieze of intertwined characters and significant events, urging people to pay attention to all the arts.
