WHAT WE KNOW

The exhibition highlights a wide variety of paintings created by artists in the Congo Basin (Central Africa) from the mid-1920s to 1960s, starting from when artist Georges Thiry from Belgium first spotted painted murals of crocodiles and birds by a local painter. Starting a painting workshop for the indigenous population of Elisabethville (modern-day Lubumbashi), this first workshop was then followed by subsequent ones, which prompted local artists to develop a unique and celebrated hybrid art form.

WHY WE LOVE IT

Not only will the bold colours and patterns of the paintings enthrall you, but their content reflects daily life within the village communities, which paint a very good picture of life in the Congo Basin back in the middle of the 20th century. The exhibition also highlights the period of artistic collaboration and cultural exchange between European and local Congolese artists.