This exhibition pays tribute to Chéri Chérin (1955–2025) who died in Kinshasa in October 2025, and was a leading figure in DR Congo popular painting.

Chéri Chérin began his career over 50 years ago by painting posters and adverts in the streets in Kinshasa. Chérin then switched to canvas and developed a vibrant form of narrative figure painting, rooted in Congolese social life. However, he did not confine his depictions to local scenes: Chérin liked to compose paintings with irony and sharpness depicting international issues, and consequently provided an African take on world news over several decades.

He was internationally renowned, notably due to his participation in the Africa Remix exhibition in Paris in 2005, and Chérin gained recognition from prestigious European institutions (Guggenheim Bilbao, Tate Modern, the Pompidou Centre and the Fondation Cartier).

Above and beyond the artist, we are celebrating Chérin the mentor in this exhibition. Chéri Chérin trained numerous young artists in his studio, including JP Mika, his most famous student. The exhibition showcases four works from Mika’s first period (pre-2012), which reflect his teacher’s profound influence, as well as a work on floral fabric (2014), which bears witness to his artistic emancipation. JP Mika’s career is a good illustration of Chérin’s teaching aim: convey an ethos and not a model, so that each artist can “fly with their own wings”.

At the time of his death, Chérin was completing a series of artworks showcased in this exhibition. This explains why some are not signed.

> Chéri Chérin’s page
> JP Mika’s page