Ici on crève ("We're Dying Here")
2006-2008
Aimé Mpane
Congolese, born 1968
Arts of Africa
ART OF POWER
Although art has historically glorified the powerful, it can also be a means of communication and expression for those without power. These Congolese works represent opposite ends of the social spectrum.
The mwaash aMbooy mask is emblematic of royal power and prestige for the Kuba kingdom of the central Congo. It represents Woot, the founding hero from whom the Kuba trace their descent, and is worn only by the king (nyim) or by local chiefs. In both its dance and as a sculpture, it is a vision of gravity and composure.
The contemporary portraits by Aimé Mpane, in turn, depict the struggles of those without access to power. They show ordinary citizens of Kinshasa, along with representations of their fears and desires. The artist carves these images from plywood, turning two-dimensional surfaces into works filled with light and shadow (suggesting both presence and absence) that animate the stories of the dispossessed.
Although art has historically glorified the powerful, it can also be a means of communication and expression for those without power. These Congolese works represent opposite ends of the social spectrum.
The mwaash aMbooy mask is emblematic of royal power and prestige for the Kuba kingdom of the central Congo. It represents Woot, the founding hero from whom the Kuba trace their descent, and is worn only by the king (nyim) or by local chiefs. In both its dance and as a sculpture, it is a vision of gravity and composure.
The contemporary portraits by Aimé Mpane, in turn, depict the struggles of those without access to power. They show ordinary citizens of Kinshasa, along with representations of their fears and desires. The artist carves these images from plywood, turning two-dimensional surfaces into works filled with light and shadow (suggesting both presence and absence) that animate the stories of the dispossessed.
- Maker/Artist
- Mpane, Aimé
- Classification
- Painting
- Formatted Medium
- Paint, wood, mixed media
- Locations
- Place made: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo
- Dimensions
- each panel: 12 1/2 x 12 in. (31.8 x 30.5 cm)
- Departments
- Arts of Africa
- Accession Number
- 2012.47a-m
- Credit Line
- Caroline A.L. Pratt Fund
- Exhibitions
- Double Take: African Innovations
- Rights Statement
- © artist or artist's estate
- Museum Location
- This item is not on view
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