October Gallery is proud to present Nature Morte, an evocative new solo exhibition by Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga, a trailblazing contemporary artist hailing from the Democratic Republic of Congo. This marks Kamuanga’s fourth solo exhibition at October Gallery, where his powerful and thought-provoking paintings delve into the concealed repercussions of toxic waste contaminating the environment—an environment upon which local Congolese communities depend for their very survival and basic needs.
In this latest series, Kamuanga masterfully intertwines storytelling and symbolism, with each canvas contributing to a collective narrative that unveils a distinctly modern conundrum. Unlike his previous works, which examined historical issues related to slavery and the enduring impacts of colonial expansion, these new paintings depict a present-day nursery scene cluttered with plastic toys, baby chairs, and various items heralding the arrival of a newborn. Yet, the characters in these scenes appear listlessly engrossed by these vibrant yet lifeless objects, representing a missing child—the sole vital figure whose presence could breathe meaning into the varied mises-en-scène. The exhibition’s title, Nature Morte (French for ‘dead nature’), typically translated into English as ‘still life,’ describes portraits of inanimate objects carefully arranged for display. However, given the intense focus of the mother and other family members around the infant’s high chair and the pile of untouched toys, the term takes on far more unsettling connotations, hinting that the absent infant was either stillborn or has recently passed away.
The almost surreal drama unfolding before us brings the Democratic Republic of Congo’s traumatic history of exploitation by foreign powers into sharp relief in the present day. The artist’s focus has shifted from the brutal histories of Belgian colonial control to the current scenario where neo-colonial powers once again dominate the lives of ordinary Congolese citizens. To satiate the insatiable demands of the computer industry and “green” battery manufacturing, international corporations are rapidly extracting the Congo’s rich mineral resources, particularly cobalt, copper, and coltan. Today, over 40% of the country’s heavy metal mining capacity is controlled by Chinese enterprises, adding a layer of irony to the cheap, plastic accessories and the ‘cute’ Panda face depicted in paintings like Red Energy.
For years, alarming reports of deforestation, land pollution from wastewater spills, contamination of drinking water, and the restriction of local populations’ movements have grown increasingly frequent. The detrimental impacts of industrial mining processes on food production, human health, and local biodiversity are well-documented, especially in Katanga, the central region of the DRC, where Kamuanga’s parents trace their roots.
Kamuanga’s figures, their skin etched with intricate patterns of digital circuitry, serve as unwilling witnesses to the relentless clash between the ancestral and the modern, the local and the global. These paintings lay bare the tremendous human cost exacted by our unending demand for modern technology, a demand that ensnares unseen victims in the devastating aftermath of industrial-scale mining that disregards environmental preservation and human dignity. Burdened by the oppressive weight of history, Kamuanga’s iconic figures bear the scars of a nation grappling to navigate the perilous waters of neo-colonial exploitation and the erosion of a cultural heritage unable to shield the natural environment that once nurtured and sustained it.
Exhibition dates: 14th November, 2024 – 25th January, 2025.
