Kin la Belle Pascal Maitre Kinshasa, a city of 10 million people known as extraordinary ethnic mix of the city which ravaged by civil war. While I was walking along Leopoldville during the colonial era after King draws in people from across one of Africa's a road, I met a boy who was poor, hungry and Leopold II of the Belgians, stretches along the largest countries and further afield. Often, the was wearing ragged clothes. Yet he had used eastern banks of the Congo river for miles. The waves of people converging on the capital, his imagination to preserve his dignity by seemingly endless sprawl of the low rise city fleeing violence and poverty in other parts of painting his shoes." The ethos of this where most Kinois, as residents of Kinshasa the country settle in ethnic groups in Kinshasa story, according to Pascal, could be applied to are known, live resembles a checkerboard of and bring with them the traditions, ceremonies most Kinois. Pascal Maitre huge road grids, tightly packed with rusty and songs of their regions. Rituals are passed roofs, grey walls, black earth, mud and the odd from one generation to the next and thus streak of green. The city is melting pot of preserved for the future. An elder in one of incessant chaos and activity, overflowing with Kinshasa's communities told Pascal that energy and maddeningly unregulated. More "if these ceremonies are still practiced than 85% of the population works in the it's mainly to please the ancestors and ask for informal sector and everyone who wants to their protection. We always try to have survive in this maelstrom has to be an representations of beauty. In the villages we entrepreneur, wheeling and dealing to make a always entrust the most talented sculptor with dollar or two to live another day. This daily making statues and masks whose beauty struggle leads to an inherent sense of creativity hopefully delights our ancestors." Many that is also reflected in the arts. Kinshasa has Western artists such as Picasso, Derain, given Africa some of its greatest artists. The Matisse and Modigliani have drawn extensively painters Chéri Samba and Chéri Cherin, on African masks and statues in the formation the sculptor Freddy Tsimba, the sculptor and of their own aesthetic. When the famous model maker Bodys Isek Kingelez and the Swedish writer Henning Mankell addressed the legendary musician Papa Wemba. These assembled dignitaries at the 2013 Davos World artists draw their inspiration from the daily life Economic Forum he told a story from his and the people of Kinshasa and the travels. "In the 1980s Mozambique was panos pictures Unit K, Reliance Wharf t +44 [0]20 3322 8382 Hertford Road e [email protected] London N1 5EW w www.panos.co.uk 'Sapeurs', the French acronym for the Societe des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Elegantes (the Society of Tastemakers and Elegant People), from the 'Leopards du Congo' Sapeurs group in the Matonge neighbourhood. They wear second-hand clothes by leading designers (e.g. Yamamoto, Dolce & Gabbana, and Paul Smith). La Sape fashion statement first appeared in the late 1970s as a reaction to the 'authenticity' advocated by Mobutu who banned western-style clothing. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures Date: Ref:PMR00832DRC Kin la Belle Pascal Maitre www.panos.co.uk A group of 'Sapeurs', the French acronym for the Societe des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Elegantes, the Society of Tastemakers and Elegant People, in a bar at night. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures Date: Ref:PMR00869DRC Kin la Belle Pascal Maitre www.panos.co.uk A 'Sapeur', the French acronym for the Societe des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Elegantes (the Society of Tastemakers and Elegant People). Members of the 'Leopards du Congo' Sapeurs group in the Matonge neighbourhood. They wear second-hand clothes by leading designers (e.g. Yamamoto, Dolce & Gabbana, and Paul Smith). La Sape fashion statement first appeared in the late 1970s as a reaction to the 'authenticity' advocated by Mobutu who banned western-style clothing. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures Date: Ref:PMR00663DRC Kin la Belle Pascal Maitre www.panos.co.uk A 'Sapeur', the French acronym for the Societe des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Elegantes (the Society of Tastemakers and Elegant People). Members of the 'Leopards du Congo' Sapeurs group in the Matonge neighbourhood. They wear second-hand clothes by leading designers (e.g. Yamamoto, Dolce & Gabbana, and Paul Smith). La Sape fashion statement first appeared in the late 1970s as a reaction to the 'authenticity' advocated by Mobutu who banned western-style clothing. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures Date: Ref:PMR00677DRC Kin la Belle Pascal Maitre www.panos.co.uk 'Avenue du 30 Juin' in 'La Gombe' district, where once only Europeans could live and until 1958, at 6.00 pm, a horn was sounded giving the signal for all Africans to leave. To the left is the Sozacom building. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures Date: Ref:PMR00814DRC Kin la Belle Pascal Maitre www.panos.co.uk Artist Bodo and his sons who are all painters and share the same studio. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures Date: Ref:PMR00888DRC Kin la Belle Pascal Maitre www.panos.co.uk A man holds an oil lamp to light the canvas as artist Cheri Cherin paints. © Pascal Maitre Date: Ref:PMR00136DRC Kin la Belle Pascal Maitre www.panos.co.uk Painter and 'Sapeur' (the French acronym for the Societe des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Elegantes) the Society of Tastemakers and Elegant People, Chéri Samba at work in his studio with one of his paintings, 'La grosses d'un vigil infant', a compentary on the post-colonial experience, behind him. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures Date: Ref:PMR00849DRC Kin la Belle Pascal Maitre www.panos.co.uk Painter Chéri Samba and 'Sapeur' (the French acronym for the Societe des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Elegantes) the Society of Tastemakers and Elegant People. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures Date: Ref:PMR00671DRC Kin la Belle Pascal Maitre www.panos.co.uk Budiongo, Benj Kinenga and Ange Swana young artists, painting outside at an artist's community. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures Date: Ref:PMR00867DRC Kin la Belle Pascal Maitre www.panos.co.uk A group of artist Freddy Tsimba's statues made from spoons. He says he finds his inspiration in the suffering experienced by many communities in his country. An advocate for disarmament, much of his art is fashioned from the remnants of weapons but he also likes to use old cutlery: ''There are lots of spoons in Kinshasa, but not much to put on them'', he says. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures Date: Ref:PMR00891DRC Kin la Belle Pascal Maitre www.panos.co.uk Bienvenu Nanga working in the courtyard of his home as his sister cooks food in the open air kitchen. Nanga makes imaginary works, like robots, with recycled materials. He has had exhibitions in Kinshasa and also in Belgium and Holland. He says he likes to make robots because they represent the strongest power. ''I find my inspiration in daily life''. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures Date: Ref:PMR00822DRC Kin la Belle Pascal Maitre www.panos.co.uk A model of a robot made by artist, Bienvenu Nanga, in the courtyard of his home. Nanga makes imaginary works, like robots, with recycled materials. He has had exhibitions in Kinshasa and also in Belgium and Holland. He says he likes to make robots because they represent the strongest power. ''I find my inspiration in daily life''. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures Date: Ref:PMR00828DRC Kin la Belle Pascal Maitre www.panos.co.uk Artist Bodys Isek Kingelez, creates scale-model architectural designs of invented cities using paper and card and other found materials. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures Date: Ref:PMR00674DRC Kin la Belle Pascal Maitre www.panos.co.uk Pain Victoire, an industrial bakery and the largest bakery in Kinshasa, which is under Lebanese management. There is a large Lebanese community in the city. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures Date: Ref:PMR00680DRC Kin la Belle Pascal Maitre www.panos.co.uk Rachel Mwanza, talks to homeless friends on the streets where they once all lived together. Mwanza, also known as 'the miracle of Congo', has returned on a visit but has escaped the absolute poverty of the streets after the former street child became the main actor in the movie 'Rebel', directed by the Canadian Kim Nguyen, in which she played the role of a child soldier. She was awarded the Silver Bear at the Berlin film festival and the film was nominated for an Oscar in 2013. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures Date: Ref:PMR00813DRC Kin la Belle Pascal Maitre www.panos.co.uk Wresters, Six Colours (left) and Nengu Nengu (right), perform a ritual, with fetishes, that they hope will give them the power to win their upcoming contests. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures Date: Ref:PMR00860DRC Kin la Belle Pascal Maitre www.panos.co.uk A wrestler performs a drop kick during practice. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures Date: Ref:PMR00881DRC Kin la Belle Pascal Maitre www.panos.co.uk Texas Mwimba, former wrestling champion and activist for albino people. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures Date: Ref:PMR00883DRC Kin la Belle Pascal Maitre www.panos.co.uk The audience at a meeting, organised by albino wrestler Texas Mwimba, to disscuss the medical and social problems faced by albinos. © Pascal Maitre/Panos Pictures Date: Ref:PMR00856DRC Kin la Belle Pascal Maitre www.panos.co.uk The Ngaba junction , one of the busiest intersections in the capital, now a sprawling and anarchic city with a population of more than 10 million.