Joart Kabeya

Joart Kabeya (Family's name Jonathan Kabeya), a Contemporary Figurative Painter Artist by profession, born in Lubumbashi city (DR Congo); graduated in visual arts at the Institute of Fine Arts Kiwele.

Painting and drawing are for me a great passion, a self-discovery, a spiritual expression of who I am. At the age of seven, I manifested a natural love of drawing by drawing impetuously all over my notebooks, table and any surface he could only understand my lessons at school by making drawings illustrations, which attracted the attention of my lovely mother, who encouraged my talent by talking to my dearest aunt, Séraphine Mbeya (artist, painter, and visual artist), former director of the Kiwele Academy of Fine Arts (city of Lubumbashi), who sculpted my artistic education.

In 2013, I joined the Fine’s School Kiwele and began my artistic courses in the painting option from where I obtained my artistic diploma in 2017.I also had the privilege of working and learning in the art workshops of some of my art lectures of my school notably  including Patty Mastaki, Jean Kyat, Fabrice Tshilumba, Benjamin Yumba, etc., who shaped my artistic skills and professional experiences.

In 2018 I decided to start my solo art career as a Visual Independent Contemporary Artist ,having participated in local and international groups art exhibitions; in 2021 I relocated in Zambia ,where I realized my first solo Art exhibition of my career.

Inspiration always provoked into my mind an explosion of creativities. Often, I mostly start by thinking about a theme to exploit in order to produce a series of works, sometimes everything is often in improvisation starting without knowing where I'm going, letting myself be guided by my soul and my spirit. Before I start sketching, paint a work in my work studio, I always try to imagine that there is a person somewhere in the world who is going through a certain vulnerable situation that one of my pieces created could be an hope, a motivation to someone’s life.

I don’t know what emotional response it will trigger into someone’s life, as everyone’s experience is going to be unique and personal to them. With every piece of my work created, I would love to make my spectators reflect, travel in my art world, educate, to inform and provoke emotions that enable them to look deep within.