Zemba Luzamba

Congolese painter Zemba Luzamba interrogates and satirizes social and political power structures in Africa. A contemporary realist, Luzamba’s paintings hover on the border of satire, at once appearing to mimic the colonial lifestyle of the post-colonial elites while simultaneously bringing it into question. Is this pure observation, aspiration or critique? Although born and raised in the DRC, Luzamba moved to South Africa to pursue his career as an artist and this experience of migration has allowed him an intimate and sympathetic view of migrant communities which has informed many of his works over the past 15 years. Situating his subjects in bold fields of colour which disassociate them from concrete spaces and times allows Luzamba to portray certain situations as universal ideas, giving the viewer the freedom to interpret these scenes within a way that is relevant to their own contexts. This combined with his skilful observation of body language emphasizes the immediacy and proximity occupied by the viewer to his work. Selected Solo Exhibitions 2019 ‘Connexion’, EBONY/CURATED Cape Town, South Africa 2017 Deja Vu at the 5th Picha Biennale de Lubumbashi, DR Congo 2017 ‘In The South – Paintings from 2004-2017’, Stellenbosch University Museum, Stellenbosch, South Africa 2016 ‘Genesis’, EBONY/CURATED, Franschhoek, South Africa 2015 ‘It is What It Is’, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa 2013 LA SAPE, AVA Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa 2012 LA SAPE, AVA Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa 2005 Hope for Refugees, Rome, Italy 2004 Untitled, AVA Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa Group Exhibitions 2021 ‘In [the] Loop’, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa 2020 FNB Art Joburg online edition, Main Booth, Johannesburg, South Africa 2020 Intersect Chicago online edition of SOFA Expo, Chicago, United States of America 2019 ‘AKAA (Also Known As Africa)’ 2019, Paris, France 2019 ‘A Smaller Scale’, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa 2019 Investec Cape Town Art Fair, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa 2018 ‘The Summer Exhibition’, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa 2017 “From the Horse’s Mouth’, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa 2016 ‘Beyond Binaries, Durban Art Gallery, Durban, South Africa 2015 ‘That Art Fair’, Cape Town, South Africa 2015 “In Print/In Focus’, Michealis Galleries, Cape Town, South Africa 2014 ‘Inner Nature’, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa 2014 ‘Emergence’, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa 2013 Perspectives and Dramascapes with Wycliffe Mundopa, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa 2013 1:54 Contemporary African Art, Frieze Art Fair, London 2013 First Cape Town Art Fair, Cape Town, South Africa 2011 Art for Africa, Sotheby’s New York, New York City, USA 2008 Hifa, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe 2007 ‘Africa South’, AVA, Cape Town, South Africa 2007 Blank Projects, Cape Town, South Africa 2007 Sanlam Gallery, Baxter Theatre, Cape Town, South Africa 2006 Xcape Art Circuit, Voyage: Scalabrini, Cape Town, South Africa 2006 Picasso and Africa, Alliance Francaise, Cape Town, South Africa 2005 Piacenza, Italy 2005 Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa 2003 Xenophobia, Alliance Francaise, Cape Town, South Africa 1996 P.E.L.Group of Artists, Lusaka, Zambia 1995 Visual Art Council, Lusaka, Zambia Collections Durban Art Gallery, Durban, South Africa Irma Stern Museum, University of Cape Town, South Africa Nandos, London UK Nandos, South Africa Scalabrini House, Bassano Del Grappa, Italy Cultures Inc, California Museum of Modern Art, Equatorial Guinea Private Collections in South Africa, Italy and America Publications 2019 Dress Code: the politics of dress, oppression and self-determination in the works of Zemba Luzamba, Africa South Art Initiative (ASAI), written by Kirsty Cockerill, South Africa 2015 The Guardian Newspaper (25/03), Financial Times, London 2015 Art Africa, ‘IT IS WHAT IT IS’, Anna Stielau, South Africa 2015 Cape Times ‘Inexpressive Disutopia’, Danny Shorkend, South Africa 2010 Mario Pissarra, ‘Zemba Luzamba; Migrant Perspectives’, Critical Interventions: Journal of African Art History and Visual Culture, NYC, USA. 2005 South African Art Diary, South Africa

× Congolese painter Zemba Luzamba interrogates and satirizes social and political power structures in Africa. A contemporary realist, Luzamba’s paintings hover on the border of satire, at once appearing to mimic the colonial lifestyle of the post-colonial elites while simultaneously bringing it into question. Is this pure observation, aspiration or critique? Although born and raised in the DRC, Luzamba moved to South Africa to pursue his career as an artist and this experience of migration has allowed him an intimate and sympathetic view of migrant communities which has informed many of his works over the past 15 years. Situating his subjects in bold fields of colour which disassociate them from concrete spaces and times allows Luzamba to portray certain situations as universal ideas, giving the viewer the freedom to interpret these scenes within a way that is relevant to their own contexts. This combined with his skilful observation of body language emphasizes the immediacy and proximity occupied by the viewer to his work. Selected Solo Exhibitions 2019 ‘Connexion’, EBONY/CURATED Cape Town, South Africa 2017 Deja Vu at the 5th Picha Biennale de Lubumbashi, DR Congo 2017 ‘In The South – Paintings from 2004-2017’, Stellenbosch University Museum, Stellenbosch, South Africa 2016 ‘Genesis’, EBONY/CURATED, Franschhoek, South Africa 2015 ‘It is What It Is’, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa 2013 LA SAPE, AVA Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa 2012 LA SAPE, AVA Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa 2005 Hope for Refugees, Rome, Italy 2004 Untitled, AVA Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa Group Exhibitions 2021 ‘In [the] Loop’, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa 2020 FNB Art Joburg online edition, Main Booth, Johannesburg, South Africa 2020 Intersect Chicago online edition of SOFA Expo, Chicago, United States of America 2019 ‘AKAA (Also Known As Africa)’ 2019, Paris, France 2019 ‘A Smaller Scale’, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa 2019 Investec Cape Town Art Fair, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa 2018 ‘The Summer Exhibition’, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa 2017 “From the Horse’s Mouth’, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa 2016 ‘Beyond Binaries, Durban Art Gallery, Durban, South Africa 2015 ‘That Art Fair’, Cape Town, South Africa 2015 “In Print/In Focus’, Michealis Galleries, Cape Town, South Africa 2014 ‘Inner Nature’, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa 2014 ‘Emergence’, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa 2013 Perspectives and Dramascapes with Wycliffe Mundopa, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa 2013 1:54 Contemporary African Art, Frieze Art Fair, London 2013 First Cape Town Art Fair, Cape Town, South Africa 2011 Art for Africa, Sotheby’s New York, New York City, USA 2008 Hifa, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe 2007 ‘Africa South’, AVA, Cape Town, South Africa 2007 Blank Projects, Cape Town, South Africa 2007 Sanlam Gallery, Baxter Theatre, Cape Town, South Africa 2006 Xcape Art Circuit, Voyage: Scalabrini, Cape Town, South Africa 2006 Picasso and Africa, Alliance Francaise, Cape Town, South Africa 2005 Piacenza, Italy 2005 Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa 2003 Xenophobia, Alliance Francaise, Cape Town, South Africa 1996 P.E.L.Group of Artists, Lusaka, Zambia 1995 Visual Art Council, Lusaka, Zambia Collections Durban Art Gallery, Durban, South Africa Irma Stern Museum, University of Cape Town, South Africa Nandos, London UK Nandos, South Africa Scalabrini House, Bassano Del Grappa, Italy Cultures Inc, California Museum of Modern Art, Equatorial Guinea Private Collections in South Africa, Italy and America Publications 2019 Dress Code: the politics of dress, oppression and self-determination in the works of Zemba Luzamba, Africa South Art Initiative (ASAI), written by Kirsty Cockerill, South Africa 2015 The Guardian Newspaper (25/03), Financial Times, London 2015 Art Africa, ‘IT IS WHAT IT IS’, Anna Stielau, South Africa 2015 Cape Times ‘Inexpressive Disutopia’, Danny Shorkend, South Africa 2010 Mario Pissarra, ‘Zemba Luzamba; Migrant Perspectives’, Critical Interventions: Journal of African Art History and Visual Culture, NYC, USA. 2005 South African Art Diary, South Africa

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