Eddy Ilunga's Fragile Responsibility

You just need to see one piece to recognise the work of Congolese artist, Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga, forever. But that’s not his only appeal. Much of his work has also had a strong central theme - the slave trade from Africa, which is a subject that always turns heads (rightfully so).

Ilunga displays this story so poignantly - the rich African fabrics the subjects are adorned showcase and celebrate their rich African heritage. But you can see that they are all unhappy. Sorrowful even. They’ve lost their relatives and community members to slavers, handed over in exchange of Toby Jugs and porcelains which they believed were receptacles of power. These items, used as currency during the slave trade, are well featured across his works.

He doesn’t stop there actually. If you look closely, the black skin of the subjects are made up of microchip circuitry, perhaps showcasing how Africans were ‘forced’ to modernise along the lines of the ‘White Man’ who colonised the continent using religion and trade as in-roads.

See some of his life-size creations below.

See more of Eddy Kamuanga Ilunga’s works here. You can also read this rich article about his series, Fragile Responsibility