Chéri Samba

Chéri Samba was born in 1956 in Kinto M'Vuila in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He lives and works in Kinshasa. Although Chéri Samba began his career as a designer of advertising signs in Kinshasa in 1972, it was not until 1979 that he began to sign paintings with his own name. His work, which depicts scenes from everyday life, differs from the productions of his time in its use of text in the form of subtitles or prose directly integrated into the composition, addressing political or economic subjects. Chéri Samba's canvases reflect a tormented Africa in which he positions himself as a militant observer. He quickly attracted the attention of dealers and galleries the world over, and made his way into major collections such as the Centre Pompidou, MoMA and the LVMH Foundation.