Rahim Lascony, the art of sapology

Rahim Lascony was born on June 16, 1999 in Brazzaville. In 2016, his passion for art led him to take training at the prestigious Poto-Poto painting school. He was then spotted by visual artist Bill Kouelany and joined his contemporary art center: Ateliers Sahm. As part of numerous residencies and exhibitions in this multidisciplinary space, he refined his pictorial technique and broadened his field of expression. Rahim’s artworks are recognizable by his atypical characters and their particular textures (use of collage, sewing, recycled materials). The public can find his works at Brazzaville airport where 8 large canvases have been exhibited since 2020. He has also produced multiple frescoes, and exhibited in Pointe-Noire, Marseille and Luxembourg.

One of his notable series is titled “The Elders of the Neighborhood,” a work inspired by a generation of elders he met in his native neighborhood: Bacongo. The pioneers of the Poto-Poto school and the search for moving characters with the famous Mickeys are among his inspirations.

Beyond his work as a visual artist, Rahim also performs street performances to raise awareness among Congolese about issues such as lack of access to water or patriarchal violence. The faces painted by Rahim are always imbued with great expressiveness and the diversity of his techniques gives his works a truly original and fascinating texture.

The art of sapology… Brazzaville, Kinshasa, Paris, sapology is a clothing identity movement that diverts and reinvents fashion codes.

Ba Mama Moziki, which literally means “women of associations” in Lingala, refers to these women, followers of fashion and good manners.

The Mama moziki are groups of women who come to the aid of the inhabitants of the district. They are present during ceremonies such as marriages and funerals. They are the guarantors of social cohesion and constitute a fabric of solidarity in their community. Very active, they supervise young people by transmitting values of sharing, respect and fight against juvenile delinquency.

These women marked the youth of Rahim Lascony. They were not only representatives of a typically Congolese aesthetic, through the elegance of the loincloth and the garment, but they transmitted to him a certain vision of the world.

In this series of paintings, Rahim Lascony pays homage to these women and their brightly colored outfits. He explores techniques (sewing, knitting, collage) and plays with recycled materials such as velvet or wool. The faces are made up of colored fabrics that reflect the depth of their expressions, sometimes pensive, proud or nostalgic.

Ba Mama Moziki is an ode to Kongo cultures through women, sapology, loincloth and constantly reinvented creativity.

The series of four paintings BA MAMA MOZIKI is available in our eShop!