History In The Making

Almas Art Foundation is extremely excited to present History in the Making featuring Pamela Tulizo and Dolet Malalu, both from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Living between Goma and Kinshasa, their works, while rooted in the history of their country, explore issues with a global resonance.  

 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 humour, he combines his interest in SAPE, as well as in Congolese music and graffiti, to turn transgenerational practices into a cultural manifesto. 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 archives and interviews with academics, she pays a tribute to Black women and echoes their fate with the current plight of women worldwide who endure similar psychological and physical violence driven by persistent patriarchy, human trafficking and mineral exploitation. With their paintings and photographs, Dolet Malau and Pamela Tulizo connect the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the world, thus telling us how the stories they share unfold a history in the making.