Luzamba Musiri Zemba Democratic Republic of Congo, 1973

Luzamba Zemba was born in 1973 in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Luzamba (then Lutanda) studied in Evelyn Hone College of Applied Art and Commerce in Lusaka, Zambia, after studying art at school in his hometown of Lubumbashi. The twenty-seven-year-old artist decided not to return to the DRC's unstable political atmosphere and moved to South Africa, where he has lived since 2000.
Luzamba Zemba has become a chronicler of his experiences as a migrant African in a country with a tumultuous and often violent connection with its continent during the previous decade.

His technical skill, along with his personal knowledge of the lives of transnational migrants, provides his mostly narrative paintings a unique perspective on the vivid sights of daily life.

Many of Luzamba Zemba's works are inspired by photographs and sketches he has seen over the years, but they don't always refer to real individuals. His composition intrigues; he places his subjects partially and momentarily. Is it memory, observation, or imagination that we're dealing with? Is this happening in the new South America or the old Congo?

While he appears to be familiar with his subjects, their lack of specificity gives an air of mystery to his images. Luzamba Zemba is a contemporary realist who provides lifelike depictions of everyday themes while avoiding overt commentary with his trademark understatement. He approaches the edge of satire at times, leaving the viewer unsure what to make of his shadows.

These appear to be simple formal tricks used to create graphic depth or intriguing illusion in order to replicate postcolonial elites' colonial lifestyles. The sartorial choices of his subjects, who are almost always dressed in formal Western clothes, are also notable. Is this only an observation, a wish, or a criticism?

Zemba Luzamba is fascinated by what individuals exhibit on the surface and uses oil paint on his canvas surfaces to play with pictures and ideas, what he sees and what's really going on.

As the artist says « There is a bit of politics in my work, but I play with that, so it’s not too serious. If you look at my paintings, you’ll see I’ve been playing with elegance and lifestyle, with some reference to politics and social commentary. In the Congo there’s a trend for some of the guys, known as Sapeurs, to pretend they’re more affluent than they are by following a culture of elegance in the way they dress. It’s surface-level personal image management, and also an aspirational expression. In Congolese society there are certain things that we never actually talk about – big issues kept beneath a surface façade. So I went with that flow, and a sense of only what can be seen on the surface has influenced some of the works that I’ve been doing lately. My imagery also includes stuff that is happening in politics in South Africa. I don’t speak too loud, but quietly in my way. Not all my works are about showing political movements, though; some are just trying to point out the politics of the lives that we live in." 

Luzamba Zemba's artworks benefits from his sensual use of paint. His precise reading of body language is paired with a formalist forecast of an organized, shallow pictorial space. This highlights the viewer's immediate and close closeness to his work.The artist has exhibited abroad, most notably in Australia at Another Antipodes, and his work may be found in a number of public collections.

The artist stays in South Africa where he continues his poursuit as an artist.