Born in 1950, Ibe, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Died in in 2001, Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo where he lived and worked.
Seen rightly as a “painter-reporter” of city life, Moke was among the leading artists of the school of popular painting that emerged in Kinshasa in the first decade of Zaïre’s independence. He arrived in Kinshasa at the age of ten, living hand to mouth from day to day. Discovering that there was a market for paintings, he taught himself how to depict landscapes on discarded pieces of cardboard.
In 1965, he painted a work representing General Mobutu waving to the crowds as he led the parade commemorating Independence Day. This composition, which he would return to many times in later years, launched Moke’s career. He set up a studio at the crossroads of Kasa-Vubu and Bolobo avenues, in a district where many billboard and advertising painters worked, and immersed himself in the daily life of the city, from which he drew his inspiration.
Moke adopted the conventions of commercial art, boldly outlining his robust figures without concern for likeness or perspective. Instead, he emphasized the painterly qualities of his work, using a rich palette and vividly animated compositions. Unlike Chéri Samba or Cheik Ledy, who would follow in his footsteps, Moke rarely depicted social conflict. Rather, his sympathetic and vivaciously humorous paintings were grounded in his observation of daily life in Kinshasa: street scenes, bars, the local dandies known as sapeurs, the powerful Miziki (associations of financially independent women), all-night parties, neighbourhood disputes, and public ceremonies all found their way into his canvases.
Collections
Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, Paris, France
Collection Farida et Henri Seydoux, Paris, France
Collection Gervanne et Matthias Leridon, Paris, France
Fondation Alliances, Casablanca, Morocco
Smithsonian National Museum of African Art, Washington, USA
The Museum of Modern Art, New York, USA
