A Congo Chronicle: Patrice Lumumba in Urban Art A Congo Chronicle: Patrice Lumumba in Urban Ar
A Congo Chronicle: Patrice Lumumba in Urban Art A Congo Chronicle: Patrice Lumumba in Urban Art features approximately ninety examples of Congolese Urban art, or popular painting that portray the life and tragic death of Patrice Lumumba, the first Prime Minister of the Congo after its independence from Belgium in 1960. The exhibition includes a series of nearly fifty paintings by Tshibumba Kanda-Matulu, an influential artist of the 1970s, and a number of recent works by other Congolese contemporary artists who emulated his style. Reflections of prevailing popular taste, these paintings demonstrate how memories of Lumumba were transformed into a powerful visual narrative of a cultural hero.[…]These popular depictions of Patrice Lumumba exemplify the Congolese tradition of venerating mythic or cultural heroes. Just as classical African sculptures portrayed cultural innovators, urban art helped transform Lumumba into a powerful symbol. He embodies the dream of national unity, democracy, and independence, despite being largely omitted from official Congolese histories of the Mobutu era. With the recent upheavals in the political leadership and social fabric, A Congo Chronicle is a timely examination of how Lumumba became not only a Congolese hero, but also an African and African-American hero. -- source link
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