Amphithéâtre Marguerite de Navarre, Site Marcelin Berthelot
Open to all
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Abstract

Chéri Samba will explain why he is particularly fond of artists who "have art in their blood and who have not been accepted". As the leading exponent of Art Populaire - painting that comes from the people who are its subject - he will explain why he identifies with it. He will detail what constitutes the "Sambaïenne signature", characterized by the use of acrylics, for the strength of its colors, glitter and texts combining humor and criticism of the way the world works. In his talk, he will explain why and how he deals with universal issues, and testify to his conviction that artists can challenge consciences and change mentalities.

Painting: Le petit Kadogo, acrylic and glitter on canvas
"Le petit Kadogo", acrylic and glitter on canvas, 135 x 200 cm, 2010, Courtesy Galerie MAGNIN-A, Paris. photo: Florian Kleinefenn

Chéri Samba

Chéri Samba

Chéri Samba was born in Congo in 1956. He lives and works in Kinshasa. The most famous African painter in the world, his work has been the subject of numerous exhibitions worldwide, including the first Biennale d'Art Contemporain Bantu (Libreville, 1985); Magiciens de la terre (Paris, 1989), and Africa Explores: 20th Century African Art (New York, 1991), as well as at the Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain (Paris, 2004). His work has been the subject of numerous retrospectives. Chéri Samba paints colorful acrylic canvases that are both poetic and political. A great master of popular painting, he depicts social issues such as morals, sexuality, illness, social inequality and corruption. Often using humor, his canvases are interspersed with texts, sometimes narrative, sometimes theoretical.

Speaker(s)

Chéri Samba