Cheri Samba
Encyclopedia
Chéri Samba or Samba wa Mbimba N’zingo Nuni Masi Ndo Mbasi (born December 30, 1956 in Kinto M’Vuila) is a painter from the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is one of the most famous contemporary African artists, with his works being included in the collections of the Centre Georges Pompidou
in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art
in New York. He has been invited to participate in the 2007 Venice Biennale
. His paintings almost always include text in French and Lingala, commenting on life in Africa and the modern world. Chéri Samba lives in Kinshasa
and Paris
.
and his mother a farmer. in 1972, at the age of 16 he left the village to find work as a sign painter in the capital Kinshasa
.
In 1975 he opened his own studio. At the same time he also became an illustrator for the entertainment magazine Bilenge Info. It is at this time when he developed his signature style of combining paintings with text. His work earned him some local fame. His breakthrough was the exhibition Les Magiciens de la Terre at the Centre Georges Pompidou
in Paris in 1989, which made him known internationally.
In 2007, curator Robert Storr
invited Samba to participate in the 52nd International Art Exhibition at the Venice Biennale
, entitled “Think with the Senses—Feel with the Mind. Art in the Present Tense”, and described by The Huffington Post
as 'certainly "the exhibition" of this new Century'.
Centre Georges Pompidou
Centre Georges Pompidou is a complex in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement of Paris, near Les Halles, rue Montorgueil and the Marais...
in Paris and the Museum of Modern Art
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
in New York. He has been invited to participate in the 2007 Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
. His paintings almost always include text in French and Lingala, commenting on life in Africa and the modern world. Chéri Samba lives in Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
and Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
Biography
Chéri Samba was born in Kinto M’Vuila as the elder son of a family of ten children. His father was a blacksmithBlacksmith
A blacksmith is a person who creates objects from wrought iron or steel by forging the metal; that is, by using tools to hammer, bend, and cut...
and his mother a farmer. in 1972, at the age of 16 he left the village to find work as a sign painter in the capital Kinshasa
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
.
In 1975 he opened his own studio. At the same time he also became an illustrator for the entertainment magazine Bilenge Info. It is at this time when he developed his signature style of combining paintings with text. His work earned him some local fame. His breakthrough was the exhibition Les Magiciens de la Terre at the Centre Georges Pompidou
Centre Georges Pompidou
Centre Georges Pompidou is a complex in the Beaubourg area of the 4th arrondissement of Paris, near Les Halles, rue Montorgueil and the Marais...
in Paris in 1989, which made him known internationally.
In 2007, curator Robert Storr
Robert Storr
-Education:Robert Storr received his B.A. in History and French from Swarthmore College in 1972, and earned an M.F.A. in Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1978.-Career:...
invited Samba to participate in the 52nd International Art Exhibition at the Venice Biennale
Venice Biennale
The Venice Biennale is a major contemporary art exhibition that takes place once every two years in Venice, Italy. The Venice Film Festival is part of it. So too is the Venice Biennale of Architecture, which is held in even years...
, entitled “Think with the Senses—Feel with the Mind. Art in the Present Tense”, and described by The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post
The Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...
as 'certainly "the exhibition" of this new Century'.
External links
- Chéri Samba at the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain (Paris)
- Chéri Samba at Pascal Polar gallery, Brussels, Belgium
- Exhibition at Galerie Peter Hermann, Berlin
- Contemporary African Art Collection, Geneva - Paintings and bio
- Interview in Time Out London, March 2007
- Congo's Hogarth - Art Review magazine, July 2007, by Fred Robarts
- Venice Biennale 2007 - photo of Samba's room
- African Contemporary | Art Gallery - Chéri Samba's paintings
Sources and references
- André Magnin and Robert Storr: "J'aime Cheri Samba". Thames & Hudson, 2004. ISBN 9780500970140