Indigo Arts represents a collection of paintings from the influential painting workshop in Elisabethville (now Lubumbashi) in the colony of the Belgian Congo (now the Democratic Republic of the Congo). The workshop, L'Academie Congolaise d'Art Populaire, generally known as "Le Hangar" was founded in 1946 by the French painter and former colonial soldier, Pierre Romain-Desfossés. Several of the "le Hangar" artists, such as Bela, Pilipili Mulungoy and Mwenze Kibwanga proved very influential on the next generation of artists in the Congo, and later on other African art movements such as the Tinga Tinga painters in Tanzania. The work of several of the artists was featured in the groundbreaking 2015 exhibit Congo Beauté 1926 - 2015 Congo Kitoko, at the Fondation Cartier in Paris. The work in our collection is by two of the artists who studied under Pilipili Mulungoy - Kabinda Kunkulu Victor and Mwila. Painted in 1958 and 1959, these paintings came from the collection of the late Belgian art collector and dealer, Max Berkovitch.
Warning: USPS is not as economical as it may appear. After improving a bit over the last year or two, USPS service seems to be deteriorating once again. Please be aware that USPS only includes insurance up to $100 for its domestic shipments, and varying amounts for overseas shipments. Please ask for full insurance and we will send you an invoice for any difference in cost.
