history

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.

In a rare 1979 interview, Pilipili Mulongoy—once a humble plumber—reveals how sketching a simple wooden figure ignited his rise to prominence in modern African art. Raised by a master drummer, he first learned the communal power of creativity before honing his signature “petit point” style under mentor Pierre Romain-Desfossés. Now, his reflections illuminate the unbroken thread between traditional craftsmanship and modern expression. Discover how one man’s relentless curiosity bridged worlds and inspired a new generation of Congolese artists.