Culture

From Bolobo to Kōkyo: An Homage to Alfred Liyolo

Walk through Kinshasa today, and you’ll encounter Alfred Liyolo’s legacy in two forms: bronze sculptures gracing public squares and his smiling face on Tembo beer advertisements throughout the city. That a beloved Congolese beer brand chose an artist to represent their product speaks volumes about how Liyolo captured the nation’s heart.
The journey from Bolobo, a humble riverside town on the Congo River where Liyolo was born in 1943, to Kokyo (Tokyo’s Imperial Palace) where he became the first and only African artist ever received by Emperor Akihito, is extraordinary. This is the story of how a grandson of an ivory carver transformed bronze into bridges between worlds, proved that art could speak to emperors and common people alike, and became a symbol of Congolese pride served with every bottle of beer in the nation’s capital.

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The untold story of antoinette lubaki
Culture

The Untold Story of Antoinette Lubaki: Congo’s Avant-Gardist Female Artist

Ever heard of Antoinette Lubaki? The first female Congolese painter in history and a revolutionary force in 1920s African art? While her name has faded from mainstream art history, her story pulses with drama, innovation, and defiance. A chief’s daughter whose extraordinary murals in a remote Congolese village caught the eye of a Belgian administrator, she was thrust into Europe’s prestigious galleries, only to face systematic erasure of her identity and artistic autonomy. Through vibrant watercolors, she seamlessly merged Congolese traditions with modernist sensibilities, challenging gender prejudices, colonial expectations, and artistic conventions. Her unique visual language spoke of resilience and cultural pride, earning her international recognition. Her meteoric rise in the art world came to an abrupt end in the 1930s when her art supplies were suddenly cut off—a stark reminder of how easily artistic voices could be silenced. Here, finally, is her story…

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A painting by Tshibumba Kanda Matulu depicting Patrice Lumumba, bound and wearing a torn white tank top, standing in front of a house. The artwork includes text honoring Lumumba as a national hero and references his unmarked grave in Lubumbashi.
Culture

A Visual Tour of Congo History (Part 2): Patrice Lumumba – The Making of an African Legend

Through TKM’s extraordinary paintings, we pay homage to Patrice Lumumba, 64 years after his assassination. Here was a man whose words proved so dangerous that his enemies not only killed him, but tried to erase every trace of his existence – dissolving his body in acid and mysteriously “losing” nearly all recordings of his powerful speeches. Malcolm X called him “the greatest black man who ever walked the African continent,” yet his story remains surprisingly undertold. Following TKM’s visual testament, we uncover the journey of an African hero who dared to speak truth to power, who fought with words rather than weapons, and whose vision of true independence was so threatening that even six decades later, we’re still discovering how thoroughly his voice was suppressed. This is not just a retelling of history, but a tribute to a man whose dream of African dignity and real freedom remains as vital today as it was in 1961.

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