Chéri Samba – born in Congo in 1956 – is undoubtedly the greatest African painter of his generation. One of the founders of Kinshasa’s “Popular Painting”, he has become the international symbol of this informal movement. His boldly coloured figurative paintings challenge, denounce, caricature and provoke, often with humour. Chéri Samba’s style is anything but naïve.

This exhibition, hosted by the Musée Maillol, is the first retrospective covering 40 years of the painter’s oeuvre. With more than 50 paintings it is a journey through several “Sambaïan” themes: self-portrait as the central element of his art, along with Congo and Africa, geopolitics and environment, and art history. The last theme, women, echoes Aristide Maillol’s works within the museum and creates a unique dialogue between the two artists.

This ensemble of Chéri Samba’s works belongs to the Jean Pigozzi collection, the world’s largest collection of contemporary African art, which for over thirty years has contributed to the global recognition of artists from Sub-Saharan Africa.

An exhibition produced by Tempora and designed in close collaboration with the Jean Pigozzi Collection and the Musée Maillol.

Illustration : Chéri Samba, J’aime la couleur, 2003, Acrylique et paillettes sur toile, 206 x 296,7 cm
Maurice Aeschimann / Courtesy The Pigozzi African Art Collection © Chéri Samba