Chéri Samba is a Congolese painter, full name Samba wa Mbimba N’zingo Nuni Masi Ndo Mbasi, was born on December 30, 1956, in the village of Kinto M’Vuila.
Early Life
Chéri Samba did his primary education in Kinto-Mvuila between 1962 and 1969 and subsequently began secondary studies at the Athénée de Madimba from 1969 to 1972. Samba stopped his studies and went to Kinshasa to chase his dreams.
Career
Cheri Samba worked as a sign painter for some months; he made his signs unique by adding a twist to them with comic strips.
In 1978, he went to Gabon, where he was invited to paint cemeteries in a village. He participated in numerous exhibitions, like the Kinshasa International Fair held in Berlin and named the “Horizon.”
He drew his inspiration from different societal ills, and his favourite themes include corruption, underdevelopment, AIDS and adultery. Chéri Samba’s painting, filled with corrosive humour, is a fierce critique of social and political life.
Chéri Samba’s works are always easily accessible and highly appreciated by the general public.
Read about other African Artists here.
Exhibitions
The “Magicians of the Earth” exhibition, which took place at the Georges Pompidou National Centre for Art and Culture in 1989, brought him international fame.
1980 French Cultural Center Kinshasa – DRC
1989: “Magicians of the Earth”
1989 -1990 The tremendous public exhibition Cheri Samba Kinshasa -DRC
1990 Cheri Samba, the famous painter of Zaire, Provinciaal Museum voor Moderne Kunst, Ostend – Belgium
1991 Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago – U.S.A.
1996 National Arts Oceania and Africa Museum Paris
1997 Berseemuseum Bremen – Germany
1998 Cheri Samba. MAMCO Geneva Switzerland
2000 Chéri Samba in Kinshasa Cultural centre
2003 Chéri Samba Royal Museum of Africa Tervuren – Belgium
2004 Chéri Samba Cartier Foundation for Contemporary Art
2004 Africa Remix: Dusseldorf-Paris-Stockholm-Tokyo-Johannesburg
2010 Art Karlsruhe Germany
2015 CONGO BEAUTY 1926-2015 CONGO KITOKO Foundation Cartier
