Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga

**Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga** (born 1991) be a contemporary painter wey komot de Democratic Republic of the Congo wey ein Afrofuturism dey work wey na he exhibit across Africa den insyd Europe den de United States.

## Life
Na dem born Kamuanga Ilunga insyd Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo, as de second of seven kiddies, wey dey include five sistos. Na ein poppie study political science wey na he be a teacher for Salvation Army University while ein mommie sell second-hand shoes for a market. Na ein mommie be de family ein primary financial support.

While he dey grow up, Kamuanga Ilunga focus for technologies such as television, radio, de internet den video games. However, na he sanso be surrounded by de fabrics, jewelry, den fashion accessories of ein sistos. Wen he later cam turn an artist all of dese elements found dema way into ein paintings.

Wen na Kamuanga Ilunga be six years old, he see people dey paint for a studio in front of ein school. He start dey recreate comics, posters, den music album covers. By de time na he be ten to twelve years old na he dey receive commissions from small advertising companies den shops.

He currently dey divide ein time between living insyd Kinshasa, wer he get a studio, den Brussels, Belgium.

## Career
Kamuanga Ilunga study for de Académie des Beaux-Arts insyd Kinshasa, buh he cam turn disillusioned wey he lef de school after a short time make he help form de M’Pongo art group. Ein singular style of displaying painted humans plus computer circuitry originate wen na he dey 20 wey he break ein mobile phone. "*Looking in my iPhone*," he say, *"I became fascinated. I found out that these circuit boards are made of minerals found in Congo.*" Na he sanso be shock dat chaw villages insyd de Congo be destroyed for de minerals dem use take create electronics in use across de planet.

Na dem exhibit ein paintings insyd Africa, Europe den de United States of America, wey dey include for de Fowler Museum at UCLA, de Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery, den de Royal Academy of Arts insyd London (plus one of ein paintings be de last exhibition ein symbolic image). Na ein first London appearance be insyd 2015, during de Saatchi Gallery ein Pangaea II show den de 1-54 contemporary African art fair. Insyd 2016, na dem feature ein work insyd a solo show for de October Gallery den insyd New York ein Armory Show art fair. Insyd 2017 na dem sell ein painting "Elongated Head" for £11,250 den insyd 2018 "Mangbetu" dem sell am Sotheby's for £65,000.

Among Ilunga ein influences be de Congolese modernist artist Kamba Luesa. Na he sanso be mentored by Vitshois Mwilambwe Bondo.

## Style den technique
Kamuanga Ilunga ein Afrofuturism paintings dey depict de class of culture den technology wey na dem be created insyd acrylic den oil on canvas from posed photographs of live models. One major focus of ein work be de coltan industry insyd ein home country den "*the contrast between the rare metallic ore's role as a vital component in the infrastructure of our digital age and the legions of underpaid workers who dig it out of the earth by hand*." De figures insyd ein paintings dey allude to European portraiture, dystopian science fiction den traditional Congolese sculpture den textiles, wey dey allow am make he "*tattoo the badges of contemporary technology into the skin of those who procure these materials for others' profit*." De cotton people insyd ein paintings wear dey allude to plantations den textile mills dem create wen na Congo be a Belgian colony insyd de 1920s den 1930s, along plus today ein sweatshop labor den globalization.

According to *Apollo: The International Magazine of Art*, Kamuanga Ilunga ein paintings dey reflect "*the creative energy and contradictions of life in contemporary Kinshasa. Striking classical poses and draped in sumptuously rendered fabrics, the figures in his paintings are frequently depicted alongside ritual objects that have fallen out of use, while their skin is adorned with patterns reminiscent of computer chips – a reference to coltan, the raw material exported in vast quantities from the DRC for use in modern technologies worldwide*."

*New African* describe ein work as futuristic den seeming to "*positively embrace technology, while also seeking to encompass its traditional roots*." As na Kamuanga Ilunga say of ein paintings, "*Understanding the present through the past is central to my work*."

## Monographs

* *Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga* by Sammy Baloji, Sandrine Colard, Gerard Houghton, and Gabriela Salgado, foreword by Gus Casely-Hayford, Rizzoli, October 2022.

## References



## External links

* October Gallery's art and bio for Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga.