History In The Making

History in the Making features Pamela Tulizo and Dolet Malalu, both from the Democratic Republic of Congo. Living between Goma and Kinshasa, their works, while rooted in the history of their country, explore issues with a global resonance. In MABABU, Spirit of the Ancestors, Pamela Tulizo documents the representation of women during Slavery, from their deportation to their resistance, including the African queens who made History on the continent. Drawing on historical archives and various interviews with professors, she pays a tribute to the women who died during the Trans-Atlantic slave trade and draws a parallel with the current plight of women worldwide who endure similar violence driven by mineral exploitation and human trafficking. Inspired by the Congolese phenomenon of SAPE (Society of Ambiance-Makers and Elegant People) Dolet Malalu transforms the Sapeurs – the Sape enthusiasts – into living archives to document the social evolution of his country. In his paintings, always carrying a sense of irony and humor, he combines his interest in Sape as well as in graffiti to turn transgenerational practices into a cultural manifesto. Between the lines, he also celebrates the resilience of a people who endured coups and authoritarian regimes, turning his works into implicit political statements.