Enyejo Bakaka

Self-taught Congolese painter Enyejo Bakaka is known for his vibrant, playful paintings, with the environment and nature serving as frequent themes. His works  hint at surrealism while also often incorporating traditional cultural symbols. Bakaka’s decision to pursue a career in the arts was influenced by viewing students and exhibitions during childhood visits to Kinshasa’s Académie des Beaux–Arts as well as learning about classical and ethnographic works of art in his native DR Congo such as masks, tribal statuettes, and ancestral ritual objects. The impact of classical African art and traditional Congolese cultural symbols can be seen in his works today.