Chéri Samba

**Chéri Samba** anaa **Samba wa Mbimba N’zingo Nuni Masi Ndo Mbasi** (born 30 December 1956) be a Congolese painter wey komot de Democratic Republic of Congo. He be one of de best known contemporary African artists, plus dem include ein works insyd de collections of de Centre Georges Pompidou insyd Paris den de Museum of Modern Art insyd New York. Dem sanso fi find large number of ein paintings insyd The Contemporary African Art Collection (CAAC) of Jean Pigozzi. Na dem invite am make he participate insyd de 2007 Venice Biennale. Ein paintings almost always include text insyd French den Lingala, wey dey comment for life insyd Africa den de modern world. Samba dey live insyd Kinshasa den Paris. 

## Early life
Originally, na Samba ein name be David Samba, buh for ein country insyd na der be a ban on keeping/giving people a Christian first name, so he decide make he change am to Samba wa Mbimba N’zingo Nuni Masi Ndo Mbasi. Later on, Samba adopt de name Chéri Samba, wich he originally want make he change to Dessinateur Samba, buh na he no do secof ein relationship plus de public. Ein last name, Samba, get two meanings insyd de Kikongo language, wey dey refer to de act of prayer anaa de act of being judged.
## Biography
Na dem born Chéri Samba insyd Kinto M’Vuila, Democratic Republic of Congo, as de elder son of a family of 10 kiddies. Na ein poppie be a blacksmith den ein mommie a farmer. Insyd 1972, for de age of 16 Samba lef de village make he find work as a sign painter insyd de capital of Kinshasa, wer he encounter such artists as Moké den Bodo. Dis group of artists, wey dey include Samba ein younger bro Cheik Ledy, cam make dem constitute one of de country ein most vibrant schools of popular painting.

He be de central figure insyd de 1982 documentary film *Kin Kiesse*, wey dey offer ein thoughts for life insyd Kinshasa. According to de film ein director, Mwezé Ngangura, na Samba be instrumental insyd de making of de film, wey he convince de French Ministry of Co-operation, France 2 den Congolese television say Ngangura fi make a film on Kinshasa.

Na Samba ein breakthru be de exhibition *Les Magiciens de la Terre* for de Centre Georges Pompidou insyd Paris insyd 1989, wich make am known internationally.

Insyd 2007, curator Robert Storr invite Samba make he participate insyd de 52nd International Art Exhibition for de Venice Biennale, entitle "Think with the Senses—Feel with the Mind. Art in the Present Tense", wey ebe described by *The Huffington Post* as "certainly *<nowiki/>'the* exhibition' of this new Century".

## Similar artists

* Hieronymus Bosch
* William Kentridge
* Camille-Pierre Pambu Bodo, Bodo
* Moké
* Abdoulaye Konaté

## References



## External links

* Chéri Samba
* Chéri Samba at the Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain (Paris)
* Chéri Samba at Pascal Polar gallery, Brussels, Belgium
* Exhibition at Galerie Peter Hermann, Berlin
* Congo's Hogarth - Art Review magazine, July 2007, by Fred Robarts
* Venice Biennale 2007 - photo of Samba's room
* African Contemporary | Art Gallery - Chéri Samba's paintings
* Interview of Chéri Samba at the Cartier Foundation
* Cherí Samba Showcase, https://www.moma.org/artists/25299.