Born in 1956 in Kinto M'Vuila, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Lives and works in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo.
At school, Chéri Samba drew in his notebooks, imitating the humorous comic strips from the magazine Jeunes pour Jeunes. Recognizing the appeal of his drawings, he decided not to follow his father’s trade as a blacksmith and left school, moving to Kinshasa in 1972. He initially struggled to find work, an experience that later inspired his painting L’espoir fait vivre (1989).
He eventually found employment with Mbuta-Masunda, a painter of advertising signs, who hired him on the condition that he pass two tests: reproduce a photograph of an old man in pencil, and create calligraphy in “Gothic letters.” Having never heard the term, Samba invented his own style of lettering, which impressed his employer and secured him the job. He later worked for the entertainment newspaper Bilenge Info, illustrating Les aventures de Lolo m’a déçu, a story about a married man and his young mistress, which brought him early popularity. On October 10, 1975, he established his own studio at number 89, at the corner of Kasa-Vubu and Birmanie Avenues in the Ngiri-Ngiri neighborhood.
As he recalls:
"My life and my work are inseparable. There was a joyful competition among artists, and to stand out, I created the 'Sambaïenne signature.' I had my look, my advertisements, banners outside the studio, letterhead and business cards with my photo, my Chéri Samba stamp… I wanted maximum communication. No one serves you better than yourself!"
Samba’s paintings are characterized by a rich, vibrant, and often glittering palette, which serves to lighten the subjects. Whatever the message, he aims to engage viewers without intimidation:
"When I start a painting, I define the subject, the idea, the message, even the title. The image is clear in my head, including the colors… I draw the subject precisely in pencil, directly on the canvas, without preliminary sketches. I allow myself up to three versions of the same painting, slightly different."
In 1975, he created his first self-portrait. By 1985, he began making himself a regular subject in his paintings, so that viewers would recognize both his name and his face:
"Whether the subjects of my paintings concern me or not, I prefer to depict myself. Since I am the painter, it is my ideas, my subject, my commentary… why put someone else’s face instead of mine?"
Noticing that viewers often glance quickly at his work, Samba began incorporating texts and captions within his paintings. Writing draws attention and encourages deeper engagement with the image. He calls this approach his “Sambaïenne signature.” For him, art knows no boundaries. His themes are universal: current events, social habits, sexuality, illness, social inequality, corruption, and more.
Collections
Musée National d'Art Moderne - Centre Pompidou, Paris, France
Museum of Modern Art - MoMa, New York, USA
Seattle Art Museum, Seatlle, USA
Musée royal d'Afrique centrale, Tervuren, Belgium
Collection LVMH, Paris, France
Smithsonian Institute, National Museum of African Art, Washington, USA
Collection LVMH, Paris, France
Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, Paris, France
CAAC - The Pigozzi Collection, Geneva, Switzerland
Collection Sindika Dokolo, Luanda, Angola
Fondation Alliances, Marrakech, Moroco
Zeitz Mocaa, Cape Town, South Africa
Collection agnès b., Paris, France
Collection Lilian Thuram, Paris, France
Collection Farida et Henri Seydoux, Paris, France
Collection Gervanne et Matthias Leridon, Paris, France
Department of Political Science, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA
UCCA - Ullens Center of Contemporary Art, Pekin, China
The Jorge M. Perez Art Collection, Miami, USA
