Antoinette Lubaki

Antoinette Lubaki (Atoinet Lubaki, Atoinet Mfumbi) (Bukama, Congo Free State) (1895-?) na she be a Congolese watercolourist, den Congo ein first known female artist. Dem consider am one of de forerunners of modern art insyd Congo, alongsyd ein husby, painter den ivroy worker Albert Lubaki den de tailor-painter Djilatento. Na dem consider de Lubakis say dem be de first artists insyd Congo make dem create dema works for paper top. 

 Early life 
Na Antoinette Lubaki be de daughter of de village chief of Bukama, then insyd Shaba (Katanga) province, wich be why dem sam times refer to am as ‘princess’. Na she marry to Albert Lubaki, an ivory worker wey na dem live insyd Elisabethville (now Lubumbashi).
 Career 
Insyd 1926 Georges Thiry, an administrator insyd de Belgian Congo, na dem dey travel for a mission wey na dem notice de beautiful images dem make from charcoal, kaolin den clay for de walls of huts insyd Bukama. Antoinette Lubaki den ein husby Albert make dis. Na Thiry be a lover of modern art, wey na dem biz de Lubakis make dem recreate de decorations den make oda work for paper in order make dem ‘perpetuate this ephemeral art’. To dis end, he provide dem plus paper den watercolours, candles make dem light dema work, den de promise to buy up all dema watercolours.

Thiry transfer de Lubakis dema work to Gaston-Denys Perier, an executive officer for de Ministry of Colonies, wey be a collector of Congolese art.

Na Perier recognise de artistic value of de works wey he decide make he show Antoinette den Albert Lubaki dema work insyd Europe. De Lubakis den anoda artist Djilatendo cam turn de first Congolese artists wey dema works dey for paper top reach Europe. Na dem trade dema works der for decent prices by Perier, wey sanso keep a large collection for einself. Na de Lubakis be completely unaware of dis, wey na dem even be surprise say na Thiry be interested insyd dema works.

De works of Djilatendo, wey make mostly geometric motifs den animals, na dem hung dem for an exhibition for de Galerie du Centaure insyd Brussels insyd 1931 alongsyd those of René Magritte den Paul Delvaux, buh na dem no represent de Lubakis.

De Lubakis disappear from de attention of de Western art world as dema backers Thiry den Perier fall out, wey na dem make false accusations say na dem make dema works by a European impostor."Modern Congo 1930-1960". Magnin-A (in French). 2023. Retrieved 30 December 2024.

Nothing further be known about Antoinette Lubaki, wey dey include ein date of death. Insyd 1949, na dem sanso present de Lubakis dema works for Geert Van Bruaene's Gallery ‘L'Agneau moustique’ insyd Brussels, a gallery owner wey get an eye for emerging talent. Na chaw of Antoinette Lubaki ein paintings den drawings be lost.

 Exhibitions 

 1929: Primitive Arts and Popular Arts, Centre for Fine Arts, Brussels.
 1930: Ethnographic Museum in Geneva.
 1931: Galerie Charles-Auguste Girard Gallery in Paris.
 1949: Gallery ‘L'Agneau moustique’ by Geert Van Bruaene in Brussel.
 2015: Beauté Congo 1926-2015 Congo Kitoko, Fondation Cartier pour l'Art Contemporain.
 2022: Venice Biennale."Biennale Arte 2022 | Antoinette Lubaki". La Biennale di Venezia. 2022-04-11. Retrieved 2025-01-01.

 Gallery 

 References 

Category:1895 births
Category:Human
Category:20th-century artists
Category:Democratic Republic of the Congo artists
Category:Women artists
Category:African artists
Category:People wey komot Haut-Lomami

Category:Democratic Republic of the Congo people