Jean-Michel Basquiat
Jean-Michel Basquiat was an American artist whose paintings combine handwritten text, anatomy, crowns, cultural references, music, and history.
Painter
Chéri Samba
Chéri Samba is a Congolese painter known for narrative, text-rich scenes that bring humor, autobiography, and social commentary into contemporary painting.
Chéri Samba quick facts
Chéri Samba combines Congolese sign-painting traditions with autobiography, written text, humor, and social commentary in narrative canvases.
| Full name | Samba wa Mbimba N’zingo Nuni Masi Ndo Mbasi |
|---|---|
| Born | 1956 · Kinto M'Vuila, Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Died | — |
| Nationality | Congolese |
| Movements | Popular Painting |
| Paint types | Acrylic paint · Enamel paint (including alkyd enamel) |
| Other media | — |
| Other materials | — |
| Painting surfaces | Canvas · Fabric, including early sacking cloth |
| Painting methods | Narrative figurative painting with sign-painter lettering and integrated French and Lingala text |
| Common subjects | Figures, written text, autobiography, social observation, and humor |
| Notable works | Condemnation without Trial · The Draughtsman, Chéri Samba · Marche de soutien à la campagne sur le SIDA |
Sources: Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, MoMA: Condemnation without Trial, MoMA: The Draughtsman, Chéri Samba, Centre Pompidou: Marche de soutien à la campagne sur le SIDA, MoMA: Chéri Samba, and MAMCO Genève: Chéri Samba.
Paint types used by Chéri Samba
Samba’s sign-painting background informs narrative canvases in acrylic and alkyd enamel; museum records separately identify glitter paint in some works.
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Acrylic paint
MoMA records acrylic on canvas in The Draughtsman, Chéri Samba (1981), and acrylic with sequins, photographs, and glue in Hope Keeps You Going #2 (1997). The records document acrylic across different periods and mixed-media formats. Sequins, photographs, and glue are separate additions, not paint binders.
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Enamel paint
MoMA identifies alkyd enamel and glitter paint on canvas in Condemnation without Trial (1989–90). The collection record distinguishes the enamel from the glitter paint, showing a specific combination in a narrative painting. This material should not be conflated with the acrylic recorded in Samba’s other works.
Sources: MoMA: The Draughtsman, Chéri Samba (1981), acrylic on canvas; MoMA: Hope Keeps You Going #2 (1997), acrylic with sequins, photographs, and glue; MoMA: Condemnation without Trial (1989–90), alkyd enamel and glitter paint on canvas.
Painting surfaces used by Chéri Samba
Samba’s narrative paintings are documented on canvas, while some works use fabric; examples identify these supports in his text-rich compositions.
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Canvas
MoMA documents Samba’s narrative paintings on canvas, including The Draughtsman, Chéri Samba and Condemnation without Trial. The support carries both acrylic and alkyd-enamel works, sometimes with glitter or other materials. These collection records establish canvas across different media and periods.
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Fabric
Samba also used fabric supports, including early sacking cloth, in selected paintings. Fondation Cartier and Centre Pompidou records document these textile works, distinct from the canvas paintings in MoMA’s collection. The coarse fabric is a specific support choice in his practice and should not be generalized to every painting.
Sources: Fondation Cartier pour l'art contemporain, MoMA: Condemnation without Trial, MoMA: The Draughtsman, Chéri Samba, Centre Pompidou: Marche de soutien à la campagne sur le SIDA, MoMA: Chéri Samba.
Painters similar to Chéri Samba
Painters comparable to Chéri Samba combine narrative figuration, written text, humor, and social commentary in graphic contemporary painting.
Slawn
Slawn, born Olaolu Akeredolu-Ale, is a Nigerian-born artist whose graphic paintings use caricatured faces, Yoruba identity, humor, and social commentary.