Visions of a young artist on history with photography and the Kuba rug
Jeanpy Kabongo, a young Congolese visual artist, is determined to inspire an appreciation of history and culture through his photographic works. His personal connection to the culture of his country, which took place after his studies in India, led him to employ Kuba textiles, a traditional creation of the Kuba tribe of the DRC, as a backdrop for his photographs.
Through this series of works, he wishes to represent the connection between the past and the present and invite people to reflect on the state of their mind in relation to their cultural identity and their environment. A child figures in all the works of this series, his gaze being the main objective of Jeanpy Kabongo.
For him, the Kuba textile represents the pure ingenuity of man and the carpets are an emblem of the wisdom and inventions of the past. He laments the current lack of creative genius, especially in the DRC, and hopes his series of works will inspire others to look at their own culture with fresh eyes.
Jeanpy Kabongo’s visual language uses a clear and dark stage technique to take pictures which, when placed on Kuba carpets, create a unique and mesmerizing effect. Since 2018, he lives and works in Kinshasa where he continues to create art using this same technique.
This project is a reflection on history and culture, but also a reconciliation with oneself and one’s own cultural heritage. Jeanpy Kabongo’s collection is a reminder that history is alive and continues through the influence of culture on future generations