A Night with Jean Claude Lofenia: MADNESS 2.0 First Friday

Jean-Claude Lofenia was born in the city of Kinshasa, a place where artistic expression has become a vital necessity of life.

Nevertheless, the vibrancy and richness of the art scene are not recent. After Congo's independence from Belgian rule in 1960, a movement emerged: popular painting. This genre portrays everyday scenes of Congolese life, as well as episodes from the country's tumultuous history. Following the characteristics of the comic strip, the paintings depict everything that happens in the city and in this way becomes a chronicle of the street. Moreover, they are often playful and humorous, while in reality the messages conveyed are earnest and in some cases violent. In fact, this genre is described as an art that arose from the people and reflects their daily concerns. While initially generating little interest abroad, the genre gained international recognition in the early 2000s.

The visual artist Jean-Claude Lofenia is from…