Agathon Mapemba: Misambwa
About the Exhibition and Workshop
Misambwa is a participatory exhibition by Agxon [Agathon Kakusa] that will be on display at Nafasi Art Space in August 2017. The exhibition will be accompanied by a series of events that will allow interaction and collaboration with Tanzanian contemporary artists.
Misambwa is made up from a series of sculptures Agxon has created by assembling pebbles that he finds on the beaches of Lake Tanganyika. Agxon’s topics are embedded in the complex post-independence history of Congo and a feeling of personal revolt. His inspirations range from ancient Greek writings to 1970s funk culture. His work reflects his experiences as chief of the Tumpa community, near Moba in Lake Tanganyika. He invites each visitor to question his relation to his immediate environment and to the world.
Nafasi Art Space is one of the leading cultural centres in Tanzania, visited by over 25 000 people each year. The exhibition will be accompanied by an Artist Hangout and an Abstract Sculpture Workshop open to Tanzanian artists and members of the public. Agxon will share his inspirations and influences to reveal insights into the layers of his work and his use of styles and materials, encouraging learning and exchange.
About the Artist
Agxon (Lubumbashi, DRC, 1961) creates abstract and expressive portraits with materials that he collects during his walks. Agxon initially worked in beaten copper, a figurative practice common in his native region of Katanga, before moving into abstract expression using wood, wires, and more recently pebbles. In Kinshasa he created a series of minimalist portraits in wire Faciès which was the start of his international career. This was suddenly interrupted when he was appointed chief of the Tumpa community. Since then, his practice reflects his two roles of artist and chief.
Agxon has exhibited his work in Mulunguzi, a village on the shores of Lake Tanganyika; at the Contemporary Art Gallery of the National Museum of Lubumbashi; at Halle de la Gombe in Kinshasa; and at La Chataigneraie in Liège.
Public moments at Nafasi
Agxon’s residency: 3 August – 17 August
Artist Hangout: 8 August, 4.30pm
Exhibition opening: 10 August, 6.30pm
Exhibition runs: 11 – 16 August
Workshop: 14th – 16th August
