Sandrine Colard

Eddy Kamuanga s large-scale figurative paintings display a wealth of historical understanding in a sophisticated interplay of strikingly coloured forms juxtaposed on grey negative space. Kamuanga s work taps into the rich, yet complex colonial history of the Democratic Republic of Congo, (DRC). His politically nuanced and culturally sensitive work explores the seismic shifts in economic, political and cultural identity in the DRC since colonization. Increasingly globalized in outlook, many in the DRC today are rejecting their ancestral heritage in favour of modernity, a conflict that fuels Kamuanga s work. The DRC is the world s largest exporter of coltan, a mineral critical to the production of computer chips and mobile phones. In all Kamuanga s works, the skin of each figure is embedded with integrated circuits, referring to the harsh conditions experienced by workers who mine coltan by hand. Eddy Kamuanga has been recognized internationally as one of the most interesting, young, contemporary African talents of today and his reputation is fast growing worldwide. His work has been shown across Africa, notably at Zeitz MOCAA, South Africa, and has been included in exhibitions in Europe and the United States, at institutions such as the Fowler Museum, UCLA, Los Angeles, (CA); the Hood Museum of Art, Dartmouth College, (NH); the Saatchi Gallery; and the Royal Academy of Arts, London. Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga is represented by October Gallery, London, UK.

From 19th-century studio practice through the independence era, African photography has best been known for modes of portraiture that crystallize the sitter’s identity and social milieu. Even portraits by contemporary artists are often interpreted as windows into African realities. This exhibition reconsiders African contemporary photographic portraiture by presenting four practitioners whose concerns range well beyond questions of social identity. Sammy Baloji, Mohamed Camara, Saïdou Dicko, and George Osodi expand their subjects’ interpretive possibilities, exemplifying a new creativity and versatility in portrait-making. While each artist employs different strategies, they all challenge the assumption that photographic portraits serve as mirrors of the “self.” Baloji’s montages dislocate the subject historically, Camara probes the boundaries of the portrait genre, Dicko expresses uncertainty at the possibility of representation, and Osodi engages his subjects as platforms for political commentary. The four artists enlist portraiture as a point of departure for exploring subjectivity, history, and photographic form. The Expanded Subject offers new insights into the expressive and conceptual range of African photo-portraiture today.