Aaron Samuel Mulenga

Aaron Samuel Mulenga, born in1990 in Lusaka, Zambia, is a multimedia artist currently pursuing a Master's degree at Rhode University. His work delves into themes of identity, power, mobility, and reinterpretation of religious iconography, particularly Christianity. By re-imagining biblical figures and stories to be more inclusive of people of colour, Mulenga challenges the dominant Euro-centric narrative often associated with such imagery.

His art incorporates symbols rooted in Zambian cultural heritage, drawing inspiration from practices like the distinctive body markings of the Bemba people, used for self-identification. Mulenga's exploration began when he recognized the under-representation of Black people in Christian imagery, prompting him to engage in a broader dialogue about spirituality in Africa through his art.

Aaron Samuel Mulenga , born 1990 at Lusaka, Zambia is a multimedia artist and at present a Master's candidate at Rhodes University. His work explores themes of identity, power, mobility, and the reimagination of religious iconography - in particular - Christianity. By reimagining images that depict biblical characters or stories in a way that is more inclusive of people of colour, his intention is to destabilize the Eurocentric narrative that is prevalent in such images.

Mulenga’s work contains symbols that speak to Zambian cultural heritage and draws on practices such as the unique body markings used by the Bemba people (amongst other cultural groups in the country) as a tool to identify themselves. He was drawn to this enquiry when he realized that there was a lack of representation of black people in the images of Christianity he was engaging with, leading him to join the conversation of spirituality in Africa through the work he produces.