Colors of Kinshasa in the canvas of Moke Fils Jr.
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Moke Fils Jr. grew up inside that artistic environment surrounded by father's work spending his time literally in father’s work studio. He calls himself a “folk artist” saying:
Jean-Marie Mosengwo Odia or as he calls himself Moke Fils Jr. was born in Kinshasa in 1968, he’s the eldest son of legendary Moke Fils who’s born as Monsengwo Kejwamfi, 1950–2001. Moke Fils was one of the towering figures of Congolese popular painting. Moke Fils was self learner, and even earned the nickname "the painter-journalist" for the way he transferred Kinshasa's markets, traffic jams, weddings, football matches and political events in vivid, sarcastic scenes on canvas. He exhibited across Africa, Europe and the United States before his death in 2001, leaving behind not just a full body of his art work but the true physical legacy of his inspirational work - his own son.
Legacy from a brush
"I am a folk artist because my paintings depict the social life of my country and my culture; my paintings are like a mirror — they reflect the social life of my country."
Moke Fils Jr. at the Katshiunga's gallery. Photo by Aistis Pučinskas
On June 26th as it approaches DR Congo's Independence Day on June 30th, the Katsthiunga gallery in Antwerp opened its doors for visitors to explore the new exhibition. Entering the gallery you immediately will be immersed in bright colors surrounded by the walls. And this is actually the very first accent detail in the paintings of Moke Fils Jr. As he calls himself a “folk artist” who reflects everyday life in the Congo, which is marked by corruption, government pressure, hard work, or just simply the ordinary daily routine in Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
His genre is what's known in Kinshasa as "Kinoiseries". It's like a caricature-driven scene of urban life: drivers fleeing police checkpoints, women in tight and alluring clothes, arguments erupting on overcrowded buses, or just chaos of the city involving pedestrians, traffic cars and many other details around. The artist himself agrees that his painting style resembles his father's works, which undoubtedly influenced his own paintings. However Fils Jr. paintings are way more colorful and brighter than his father's.
He doesn’t just show the viewer the beautiful life of Kinshasa’s people, but he even emphasizes that he analyzes social problems in depth.
"I address themes such as corruption, police harassment, and churches with fake pastors, and I'm also interested in international issues like poverty and immigration."
Now based in France, Moke Fils Jr. exhibits internationally in Kinshasa, Brazzaville, France, Belgium and other countries carrying his father's legacy forward while keeping the work unmistakably recognisable as his own as well.
Moke Fils art also keeps up with local news stories, such as the Democratic Republic of the Congo's appearance in the 2026 World Cup after a long time. There's special treatment for Congolese politicians as well. The artist satirises them by painting them as animals marching through the city — close enough to recognise them, but safely far enough to get away with it.
Colors of life in The Democratic Republic of the Congo
Moke fils Jr said that it was an opportunity for him to highlight the relationship between Belgium and Democratic Republic of Congo countries as well as their colonial past. Painter expressed himself as a folk artist because his paintings depict the social life of his country and culture. His paintings are like a mirror reflecting the social life of his country.
"I love colours; Congolese people love to wear clothes in many colours — for example, our mothers wear colourful wraps. They also convey a message, like a stop sign."
It's not just decoration or a matter of status — it's a lifestyle, as the painter puts it: color as communication.
David Katshiunga, the owner of Katshiunga gallery who just opened its doors for visitors in 2026, says that Moke Fils Jr style isn’t ordinary for his eyes:
“What interests me in his work is precisely this dialogue between heritage and the present. There is a continuity with a Congolese pictorial tradition that depicts life, society, and its era, but this story continues to evolve through him.
For Katshiunga Gallery, presenting Moke Fils is therefore particularly interesting: we’re not just showcasing paintings; we’re also opening a window onto Congolese artistic history, its transmission from one generation to the next, and the way this legacy continues to live on today."
Seeing Moke Fils Jr. artwork you cannot resist yourself to ask him - why is it so colorful? The painter assured that behind the colors is the whole culture of Congolese people trough clothes and style.
On exhibiting in Antwerp
Representatives from the Embassy of the Democratic Republic of the Congo even came to visit the exhibition and greet the artist. The event was rich in elements of Congolese culture; gallery visitors were treated to Congolese dishes, and Congolese music surrounded the room, performed by a singer accompanied by a guitarist.
For local visitors, Moke sees the exhibition as a double entry point — into his personal practice, and into Congolese social life more broadly. He thinks that for visitors of Antwerp, this is truly an opportunity to discover my work and also to experience Congolese social life. Asked how people react to his art in different countries the artist said simply "Reactions are different" - which is either a diplomatic non-political answer or just the most honest answer in the world.
*All of the paintings in the pictures were photographed and published with the permission of the painter himself, Moke Fils Jr.*
During the event, the artist also presented his latest work - “La Transmission” (Transmission). It showcases his father in the sky, in the form of a saint, holding paintbrushes, while the artist himself paints a picture with Antwerp city in the background including the famous Central Station building and Kathunga's gallery.
A two-week exhibition opened June 26,at the Katshiunga Gallery in Antwerp. Moke Fils deliberately chose this timing to celebrate upcoming national DR Congo independence day.
