Gallery

In the collection of the AfricaMuseum, there are 41 drawings created by Congolese makers between approximately 1926 and 1936 using imported materials. These works are attributed to Albert Lubaki, Tshela Tendu, and Paul Mampinda. We see a range of motifs depicted: animals, village life, colonial scenes, and urban dwellers. Some of the visual elements and iconographies recall other art forms, such as carved ivory tusks, mural paintings, and engraved calabashes.

Given the limited information about the artists and the context in which these works were created, we do not claim to offer a definitive interpretation. Instead, we invite you to immerse yourself in this archive of life as imagined and rendered by Congolese artists.

These works offer a rare visual record of Congolese perspectives shaped during the colonial era, capturing lived experiences and imagined worlds often excluded from dominant historical narratives.