Curatorial Text
“Red Flags” grapples with the injustices perpetuated by war. Reflecting on intimate personal accounts of the war in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo that began in 1996, MAKANO reflects on the ghoulish, the internal and the political turmoil that makes the theatre of war.
MAKANO is a Congolese artist whose multidisciplinary practice places writing at its core. His work channels turbulent thought processes into layered abstract compositions - poetic fragments that occasionally crystallize into a manic, one-eyed alter-ego grinning back the artist’s name: MAKANO.
Having endured a devastating personal tragedy, MAKANO turned to art as a way to process trauma and give form to the unspeakable. At just 17, he lost both of his parents to the brutal conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and was forced to flee to Uganda as a refugee. There, art became his lifeline, a means to quiet the voices in his head and confront not only the turmoil in his homeland, but the broader socio-political crises shaping the world. His creative practice did not arise from passion, but from frustration and necessity. As he often says, “I don’t create coz I love to, I create coz I have to.”
“Red Flags” will be MAKANO’s debut exhibition in Zambia. We are excited to share that he will be physically present for the opening of the exhibition! Please join us in welcoming him to Lusaka at the opening. Details below!
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