Amani Bodo

Biography

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Amani Bodo takes his cue from the popular life of his native land. The artist deviates from the representation in comics style in favour of metaphorical and allegorical painting, rich in symbolism. The artistic language of Amani Bodo is decidedly more innovative and evolved than that of his masters, being characterized by a deeper psycho-intellectual analysis and by a peculiar technique, even more complex and detailed, called in lingala "Mwangisa", a sort of "dripping" on the canvas.

The artist Amani Bodo, son of the well-known artist Pierre Bodo, started painting at the age of 10 years. In 2020 Primo Marella Gallery presented the exhibition "Africa Universe.Chapter 3, The art of storytellers. The continuation of the tradition: from Cheri Cherin (1955, Democratic Republic of the Congo) to Amani Bodo", the third part of a group show, entirely dedicated to Contemporary African Art. This chapter was focused on the artists who have been associated with the School of Popular Painting from Kinshasa.

This artistic movement, initially practiced on sacks attached onto the canvas and dis- played on the streets, was born in the seventies of the 20th century in the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The movement was described by the founding artists as something that comes from the people and is for the people, thus expressing their interest in the imaginaryderiving from daily life and popular culture.

The nature of Popular Painting, mainly figurative and descriptive, is visceral and complex as it criticizes, often with a vein of cynicism and irony, the social and political life of the African community. Amani Bodo takes his cue from the popular life of his native land. However, unlike Cheri Cherin, Amani Bodo deviates from the representation in comics style in favour of metaphorical and allegorical painting, rich in symbolism.

The artistic language of Amani Bodo is decidedly more innovative and evolved than that of his masters, being characterized by a deeper psycho-intellectual analysis and by a peculiar technique, even more complex and detailed, called in lingala "Mwangisa", a sort of "dripping" on the canvas. Working on a scheme with predetermined measures, his approach to painting is almost scientific because, Amani Bodo does not use words to explain history, as in a comic.

On the contrary, the artist creates enigmatic images to narrate important even- ts and themes. This visions are often surrealistic, never predictable, which often fascinate and at the same time displace the observer, who has the aim to read and resolved the message and the concept, unveiling the enigma and the surreal. Within Amani’s conception of art, culture occupies a central role, described as the luxuriant flower of humanity, which is at the basis of today’s society. Not only that: culture is the life-blood from which each of us is nourished, inspired and decides to contemplate. For Amani it is essential to always remember that it does not matter where you are in the present. On the contrary, it is important to remember where you come from, and therefore, what your history and reality was and what characteristics accompany each of us.

The multi-ethnicity within Amani’s works highlights this concept since each of us carries a different culture, a story behind us that is unique, and that derives from a specific people and reality.

Exhibitions

Works

Las Meninas (Hommage à Diego Velázquez), 2025
Africa la mère du monde, 2024
La connexion au dieu de nos ancêtres, 2024
No art no culture, 2024
Maja le repos, 2024
Le choix, 2024 Sold
Le chevaliers au paradis, 2024
LA MEDUSE, 2023
Le Berceaux de l'humanité, 2023
Photographe en action ou (Zoom) , 2021

Solo & Group Show

Amani Bodo CV

EXHIBITIONS (Selection)

2026

"Africa Universe", Manifesta, Lyon, France (upcoming)

2025

Congo Contemporary, Gallery 41, Brussels, Belgium

Les Héritiers, Galerie Angalia, Paris, France

2024

Echoes of the masters: Amani Bodo’s visions through the ages, Primo Marella Gallery, Lugano, Switzerland

SHOW, MEMORY AND SOUL - Amani Bodo, Gosette Lubondo, Eli Made, Galerie Angalia, Paris, France

2023

Amani Bodo. Solo Show, Primo Marella Gallery, Lugano, Switzerland

Congo Avenir, Galerie Angalia, Paris, France

Portraits Ya Kongo, Galerie Angalia, Paris, France

Reversed Safari. Contemporary African Art, Manege Central Exhibition Hall, Saint Petersburg, Russia

Reversed Safari,Triumph Gallery, Moscow, Russia

2022

Amani Bodo. Unveiling the enigma and the surreal, Primo Marella Gallery, Lugano, CH Coucher De Soleil, Primae Noctis Art Gallery, Lugano, CH

2021

Welcome Home Vol. II, MACAAL, Marrakech, Morocco

Amani Bodo. Journey into the African neo-surrealism, Primo Marella Gallery, Milan, IT Africa Universe, Part II, Primo Marella Gallery, Milan, Italy

2020

Africa Universe, Part I, Chapter 3, The art of storytellers. The continuation of the tradition: from Chéri Cherin to Amani Bodo, Primo Marella Gallery, Milan, IT Africa Universe, Part I, Chapter 1, Primo Marella Gallery, Milan, Italy

Kinshasa Chroniques, Musée des arts modestes, Sète, France

Congo paintings, Musée africain de Namur, Namur, BE

2016

Amani Bodo, Tambola malembe, Espace Texaf-Bilembo, Kinshasa, DRC

2014

Kin-Babi, Cécile Fakhoury Gallery, Abidjan, CI

2011

JapanCongo, Garage Center for Contemporary Culture, Moscow, RU JapanCongo, Magasin Grenoble, France

2010

Africa? Una nuova storia, Complesso del Vittoriano, Roma, Italy

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