SERGE DIAMA

Painter/Multi media artist | DR Congo

Serge Diama (1988, also known as Serge Diakota Mabilama) has proved himself an experimentalist pur sang, venturing into various different disciplines and techniques, from installations and performances, painting, collage, drawing, engravings with razorblades to photography and prints. Questioning, searching and probing into the world around him, he seamlessly combines these different techniques into exact compositions. Original and outspoken, sometimes political views with strong images, lines and forms, always with this Congolese streak of colorful flamboyance. 

With my works I create images of universal identities, breaking down the psychological borders and notion of hierarchy between communities. We need to evolve to more equitable societies and question what realities we create today, so we become better and happier people tomorrow ​

PORTRAIT

Serge Diama (1988, also known as Serge Diakota Mabilama), visual artist who lives and works in Kinshasa, graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Kinshasa and continued his professional formation through several workshops and residencies with some well-recognized photographers and KinArt Studio in Kinshasa (a.o. for the Young Congo Biennale and the Congo Biennale), as well as through various prestigious international residencies such as AKDT (Libramont/Belgium), Art Omi (NY Gent/US) and Montresso Foundation (Marakech/Moroco).


Diama has proved himself an experimentalist pur sang, venturing into various different disciplines and techniques, from installations and performances, painting, collage, drawing, engravings with razorblades to photography and prints. Questioning, searching and probing into the world around him, he seamlessly combines these different techniques into exact compositions. Original and outspoken views with strong images, lines and forms, always with this Congolese streak of colorful flamboyance.


Using daily life scenes and objects like plates, capsules, tables, beads, or more classic surfaces, he re-invents a new surrealistic reality, shaping it with photographs, engravings, collage, drawing and/or painting, creating images that force the viewer to rethink what reality he is actually seeing or should be seeing, questioning what world we are creating, teasing new meaning making. 


In his latest works in the Unusual and Questions series, Diama cuts back to an almost miniature world populated by surrealist figures, full of symbolism, combining past and present. Mixed up identities questioning contemporary African societies, meticulously painted in oil, collage and pen on A4 and A3 coated paper. Quo vadis?


Diama has been participating in group and solo exhibitions around the world, notably in DR Congo, South-Africa, Tanzania, Morocco, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and US.

Serge Diama (1988, also known as Serge Diakota Mabilama), visual artist who lives and works in Kinshasa, graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Kinshasa and continued his professional formation through several workshops and residencies with some well-recognized photographers and KinArt Studio in Kinshasa (a.o. for the Young Congo Biennale and the Congo Biennale), as well as through various prestigious international residencies such as AKDT (Libramont/Belgium), Art Omi (NY Gent/US) and Montresso Foundation (Marakech/Moroco).

Diama has proved himself an experimentalist pur sang, venturing into various different disciplines and techniques, from installations and performances, painting, collage, drawing, engravings with razorblades to photography and prints. Questioning, searching and probing into the world around him, he seamlessly combines these different techniques into exact compositions. Original and outspoken views with strong images, lines and forms, always with this Congolese streak of colorful flamboyance.

Using daily life scenes and objects like plates, capsules, tables, beads, or more classic surfaces, he re-invents a new surrealistic reality, shaping it with photographs, engravings, collage, drawing and/or painting, creating images that force the viewer to rethink what reality he is actually seeing or should be seeing, questioning what world we are creating, teasing new meaning making. 

In his latest works in the Unusual and Questions series, Diama cuts back to an almost miniature world populated by surrealist figures, full of symbolism, combining past and present. Mixed up identities questioning contemporary African societies, meticulously painted in oil, collage and pen on A4 and A3 coated paper. Quo vadis?

Diama has been participating in group and solo exhibitions around the world, notably in DR Congo, South-Africa, Tanzania, Morocco, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany and US.



WORKS

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CREDENTIALS

Solo exhibitions

2022

  • Solo Exhibition “ UNUSUAL “, Madlozi Art gallery, Cape town, South Africa

2018

  • “METAMORPHOSIS”, Nafasi art space, Dar es salaam, Tanzania

2017

  • Performance and exhibition davday, European Uninon, Brussels, Belgium

2015

  • “D’une rive à l’autre”, French Institute of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DR Congo



Group exhibitions

2022

  • Exhibition residency project Montresso Foundation, Marrakech, Morocco
  • DAF Frankfurt, international art fair via OpenArtExchange, Frankfurt, Germany
  • “Africa Now II”, OpenArtExchange, Schiedam,  Netherlands
  • “Salon Afrique “, District Six Museum via Madlozi Art gallery, Cape town, South Africa

2021

  • “11 : 11“, Eclectica contemporary, Cape town, South Africa

2020

  • “INDISCIPLINE“, Montresso Foundation, Marrakech, Marroco

2019

  • Exhibition at “CONGO BIENNAL“, KinArt studio, Kinshasa, RD Congo

2018

  • MEGAPOLIS #1, Grassi Museum, Leipzig, Germany

2017

  • Young Congo, KinArt Studio, Kinshasa, DR Congo 
  • Cape town art fair via Calanar gallery, Cape town, South Africa

2014

  • Group exhibition, KAPOW artists’ collective and TOPO COPY, Ghent, Belgium
  • « Master art 2 expo, KinArt Studio, Kinshasa, DR Congo

2013

  • Group exhibition, KAPOW artists’ collective , Oostende, Belgium

2010

  • Exhibition “50/60” Milobela Festival, Academy of Fine Arts Kinshasa/Egide grant, Strasbourg, France

Artistic residencies

2023
  • Residency “…”-project, Montresso foundation, Marrakech, Morocco


2020

  • Residency “HOME NOT ALONE”, KinArt Studio and Prohelvetia SWIZERLAND, Kinshasa, DR Congo


2019

  • Residency “INDISCIPLINE”-project, Montresso foundation, Marrakech, Marocco
  • Residency Congo Biennale, KinArt Studio,  Kinshasa, DR Congo
  • Residence ART OMI for Young Congo, New York, USA


2018

  • Residence Nafasi Artspace , Dar es salaam, Tanzania


2017

  • Young Congo program, KinArt Studio, Kinshasa, DR Congo


2016

  • Young Congo program, KinArt Studio, Kinshasa DR Congo


2015

  • Summer residence AKDT via Wallonie 
Bruxelles
International 
grant, Libramont, Belgium


2014

  • “Master Art 2” workshop, KinArt Studio, Kinshasa DR Congo
  • Photography workshop , Bruno Boudjelal, 
  • Kinshasa, DR Congo


2013

  • « Master Art 2 » workshop, KinArt Studio, Kinshasa, DR Congo
  • Photography workshop, Nicolas Clément, Kinshasa DR Congo


2010

  • Scenography workshop via Egide grant, Strasbourg, France



2022

  • Solo Exhibition “ UNUSUAL “, Madlozi Art gallery, Cape town, South Africa

2018

  • “METAMORPHOSIS”, Nafasi art space, Dar es salaam, Tanzania

2017

  • Performance and exhibition davday, European Uninon, Brussels, Belgium

2015

  • “D’une rive à l’autre”, French Institute of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, DR Congo

2022

  • Exhibition residency project Montresso Foundation, Marrakech, Morocco
  • DAF Frankfurt, international art fair via OpenArtExchange, Frankfurt, Germany
  • “Africa Now II”, OpenArtExchange, Schiedam,  Netherlands
  • “Salon Afrique “, District Six Museum via Madlozi Art gallery, Cape town, South Africa

2021

  • “11 : 11“, Eclectica contemporary, Cape town, South Africa

2020

  • “INDISCIPLINE“, Montresso Foundation, Marrakech, Marroco

2019

  • Exhibition at “CONGO BIENNAL“, KinArt studio, Kinshasa, RD Congo

2018

  • MEGAPOLIS #1, Grassi Museum, Leipzig, Germany

2017

  • Young Congo, KinArt Studio, Kinshasa, DR Congo 
  • Cape town art fair via Calanar gallery, Cape town, South Africa

2014

  • Group exhibition, KAPOW artists’ collective and TOPO COPY, Ghent, Belgium
  • « Master art 2 expo, KinArt Studio, Kinshasa, DR Congo

2013

  • Group exhibition, KAPOW artists’ collective , Oostende, Belgium

2010

  • Exhibition “50/60” Milobela Festival, Academy of Fine Arts Kinshasa/Egide grant, Strasbourg, France

2023

  • Residency “…”-project, Montresso foundation, Marrakech, Morocco


2020

  • Residency “HOME NOT ALONE”, KinArt Studio and Prohelvetia SWIZERLAND, Kinshasa, DR Congo


2019

  • Residency “INDISCIPLINE”-project, Montresso foundation, Marrakech, Marocco
  • Residency Congo Biennale, KinArt Studio,  Kinshasa, DR Congo
  • Residence ART OMI for Young Congo, New York, USA


2018

  • Residence Nafasi Artspace , Dar es salaam, Tanzania


2017

  • Young Congo program, KinArt Studio, Kinshasa, DR Congo


2016

  • Young Congo program, KinArt Studio, Kinshasa DR Congo


2015

  • Summer residence AKDT via Wallonie 
Bruxelles
International 
grant, Libramont, Belgium


2014

  • “Master Art 2” workshop, KinArt Studio, Kinshasa DR Congo
  • Photography workshop , Bruno Boudjelal, 
  • Kinshasa, DR Congo


2013

  • « Master Art 2 » workshop, KinArt Studio, Kinshasa, DR Congo
  • Photography workshop, Nicolas Clément, Kinshasa DR Congo


2010

  • Scenography workshop via Egide grant, Strasbourg, France


PROFESSIONAL COLLECTIONS