Bodo (painter)

**Camille-Pierre Pambu Bodo**, dem know am as **Bodo** (1953 &ndash; March 5, 2015), na he be a painter den pastor wey komot de Democratic Republic of Congo. He live insyd Kinshasa. Na Bodo be one of de founders den key proponents of de Zaïre School of Popular Painting. Ein works, along plus those of oda artists, vigorously exemplify dema belief insyd dema capacity make dem create art wey fi change history. 

## Early life
Na dem born Bodo insyd 1953 wey na dem raise am insyd Mandu. He fini ein secondary schooling insyd Mandu insyd 1970, wey he move go Kinshasa de same year so say he go partake insyd de landmark exhibition Art Partout. Insyd 1980, Bodo convert to Christianity wey he cam turn de pastor of world evangelism within de Pentecostal Church wey na dem convince am say e go change ein life.
## Influences den impact
Bodo dey find inspiration from ein chaw trips around both Europe den de United States of America. He sanso be inspired by de reality of both de city he reside insyd den de citizens within ein community. Bodo state say, “*I express everything that happens to me, so that I am no longer focused on specifically African topics and can address myself to the entire world*.” De majority of ein scenes encounter partially anaa fully human figures insyd a landscape. He incorporate flora den faune, den underwater life make he display ein perceptions de places wey na he experience. He paint from sight anaa experience. Bodo ein style of art dey take after de work of Hieronymous Bosch. Bodo ein resemblance to Bosch ein work dem fi see specifically thru ein piece he title, "Le fleuve de délice" (De River of Delight) both insyd title den stylistic approach. Insyd de 1990s ein style of art change to fantasy wey na he incorporate symbolism so say he go share ein dreams of a better world. *Le fleuve de délice* (De River of Delight), *Je suis unique dans mon genre* (I Am One of a Kind), *Ignorance*, *or Love*, d*e Source of Life*, perfectly echo ein beliefs. Na dese paintings be significant insyd displaying de transformation of style wey Bodo develop from de 1990s, den onward. Na dem display de way Bodo dey alter human figures into make he dey create a figure of hybridity between nature den humans.

## Themes den styles
Insyd de 1990s Bodo ein style of art change to be of fantasy den symbolic nature. Chaw of ein work wey na dem showcase dem create dey follow de 1990s. Na dem consider majority of Bodo ein work say he be sam wat surreal. Insyd de bulk of ein artwork he dey put togeda pieces of de human figure, den dey combine am plus a part of nature. Bodo dey create creatures wey na dem see as half human den half animal wey dey cam from fantasy worlds. An example of such be a piece he title, Bodostar; e dey feature a creature wey be half man – half bird. De aims of a portion of ein artwork na dem create am insyd de purpose of discouraging sorcery as a practice; dis theme be known as “Ndoki Zoba”.

## Career highlights
Bodo be one of de founders den key proponents along plus Moké den Chéri Samba of wat now dem know as de Zaïre School of Popular Painting. Dema works state vigorously den candidly dema belief insyd dema capacity make dem create art wey fi change de course of history.

## Exhibitions
Bodo partake insyd de landmark exhibition Art Partout. Na dem display ein work expansively insyd Europe. Dem fi see Bodo ein work for Tate Modern, de Guggenheim Bilbao, den insyd de Contemporary African Art Collection (CAAC) of Jean Pigozzi.

### Solo

* 2000 Bodo, peintre congolais, Hôtel Sponeck, Montbéliard, France

### Group

* 2011 JapanCongo, Magasin Grenoble, France
* 2010 African Stories, Marrakech Art Fair, Marrakech
* 2007/2008 Why Africa? Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli, Turin, Italy
* 2007/2008 "Popular Painting" from Kinshasa, Tate Modern, London, UK
* 2006/2007 100% Africa, Guggenheim Museum, Bilbao, Spain
* 2005 Arts of Africa, Grimaldi Forum, Monaco, France
* 2005 African Art Now: Masterpieces from the Jean Pigozzi Collection, Museum of Fine Art Houston, USA
* 2004 Les Afriques, Tri Postal, Lille, France
* 2003 Kin Moto na Bruxelles, Hôtel de Ville, Brussels, Belgium
* 2002 Galerie Marc Dengis, Brussels, Belgium
* 2001 La Cité dans la Peinture Populaire, Wallonie-Bruxelles Center, Belgium
* 1996 Bomoi Mobimba -Toute la Vie, Fine Art Palace, Charleroi, France

## References



## External links

* Bio from the National Museum of African Art
* Bodo Pandu artwork