The lush paintings of Montreal-based artist Moridja Kitenge Banza reveal the impacts of resource extraction in his home country of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and in his current home in Canada.
Banza’s imagined topographies suggest river systems and agricultural zones tainted by the waste of the mining industry, as well as mass burial sites that can be detected on Google Earth and other surveillance platforms.
Moridja Kitenge Banza: Topographies is presented at the McMichael as a contemporary response to Cobalt: A Mining Town and the Canadian Imagination. While earlier generations of Canadian artists have depicted the mining industry as picturesque and even sublime, Banza’s work considers the environmental and social impact resource extraction has on communities around the world.
Moridja Kitenge Banza’s website, here.
Moridja Kitenge Banza: Topographies at the McMichael, here.
Artist Page at Galerie Hugues Charbonneau, Montreal, here.
Image at top of post: Moridja Kitenge Banza (b. 1980), Chiromancie #14 n°1, 2023, acrylic on canvas, 152.4 x 106.7 cm, private collection. Photo courtesy of the artist and Galerie Hugues Charbonneau, Montreal © Moridja Kitenge Banza
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Wow, so expressive! (and pleasant to look at)
It’s saddening knowing what the DRC has been through with the exploitation of their resources, facing conflicts, or even going back to the time King Leopold II of Belgium’s regime committed genocide against over 15 million Congolese during his colonizing reign. Those art pieces really show the pain that the country had been through.
Thank you for expanding the context of this age-old tragedy. Very much appreciated.
No problem. I’m glad you appreciate that. I’ve been researching the Congo’s history and culture for the past few years.
My mind… that first painting looks almost like half man, half animal body. I’d have to tweak it for you to see what “I see.”