Group exhibition "Mwana Congo" (2025)
On Saturday, 18 January we opened our newest group exhibition, "Mwana Congo" at OpenArtExchange in Schiedam. For an impression of the opening, take a look here.
Mwana Congo presents the work of three established Congolese artists—Henri Kalama, Freddy Tsimba, and Steve Bandoma—who use painting, sculpture, and ink to explore social, political, and cultural themes in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Despite international recognition, all three artists continue to live and work in Congo, engaging with its challenges and artistic traditions.
The exhibition will run until March 15, and is also visible online on Artsy.
Take a look at the Artsy viewing room
Music at the opening
As part of the Mwana Congo opening, Michiel Moerkerk and Silke Blommaert performed music featuring the African harp (kamale n'goni) and guitar, blending calm, upbeat, and dynamic tunes.
Exhibition "Mwana Congo"
Congo-Kinshasa, or Belgian Congo, is a large country in Central Africa known for its rich cultural and artistic traditions, vibrant music, and colorful contemporary art, fashion, and design. Home to one of Africa’s top fine arts academies in Kinshasa, it has educated many renowned artists. The country is also rich in natural resources like minerals, precious stones, and oil, but this wealth has led to ongoing conflicts and humanitarian crises, particularly in the eastern provinces of North- and South Kivu and Ituri, where over 120 armed militias operate with little control from the national government. This situation has caused violence, displacement, and human rights abuses, with civilians often suffering the most.
“Mwana Congo” (Son(s) of Congo) takes its title from a song by Mohombi, a well-known Congolese singer who fled Congo with his family as a child and recently returned to Kinshasa. The song, written 10 years ago, expresses love and longing for Congo in its abused beauty. The three artists in this exhibition are internationally recognized and could have left Congo, but they remain rooted in the country, contributing in their own unique ways. Despite their differing expressions, they all reflect on the sometimes harsh realities of Congolese society while celebrating its beauty and creative vibrancy.
Henri Kalama
Henri Kalama (1973) is a painter, scholar, and professor renowned for his abstract works. After over a decade in China, where he earned a Master's and PhD from the China Academy of Art, Kalama developed a vision of art as transcending cultural and geographical boundaries. His work explores "cosmic vibrations," conveying emotions and spiritual energy through color, which he sees as carriers of universal truths. Since 2016, he has directed the Academy of Fine Arts in Kinshasa, mentoring future Congolese artists.
Freddy Tsimba
Freddy Tsimba (1967) is a sculptor and multidisciplinary artist known for transforming discarded materials—bullet casings, machetes, and scrap metal—into powerful works that explore resilience, memory, and the impacts of conflict. His sculptures address themes of life, death, and hope, turning instruments of violence into symbols of renewal and humanity’s strength to rebuild. Deeply rooted in the ancestral legacy of his craft, Tsimba’s work highlights human rights issues, particularly those affecting mothers and children, while critiquing systems of control like religion and neocolonial exploitation.
Steve Bandoma
Steve Bandoma (1981) explores themes like politics, religion, the environment, and racial differences through chaotic yet harmonious compositions that reflect the energy and violence of the modern world. Identifying as both contemporary and universal, Bandoma tackles issues such as enculturation, identity, and the clash between tradition and modernity with humor and irony. In addition to his art, he runs a non-profit supporting community projects and is currently in Goma, training young talents in refugee camps.
