Mwenze is a weaver's son. We find in his work patterns of fabrics and traditional tapestries. After receiving drawing lessons at the Mwanza Protestant Mission, he continued his education at the Methodist home and began making portraits to earn his living. When he joined the hangar workshop, he has already acquired an "academic" style. Romain-Desfossés will encourage him to move away from it to develop his own style, so characteristic, of hatching. The dark and clear lines of painting alternate and make shine the animals, the men, and mystical or religious scenes.
Lot 641 - Mwenze Kibwanga (1925-1999)
Untitled, 1954
Oil on paper
Result: 5 200 €
Mwenze confronts us with a darker and harder painting. In compositions equally saturated with motifs and life scenes, the characters seem constrained, the animals caught in an invading creepers vegetation that grips. Not only the style but also the subjects treated by Mwenze made him a singular artist.
