Dolet Malalu

Dolet Malalu, born in 1980 in Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of the Congo), where he lives and works.

After a classical literary training (Latin and philosophy), Dolet Malalu studied at the Beaux- Arts in Kinshasa, in the Graphic Arts section. In 2002, he took part in an artists’ residency and shared a studio with Fabien Verschaere and Seamus Farrell at the Institut français in Kinshasa; in 2006, he joined the Beninese artist Dominique Zinkpe to work on the creative project “Scénographie urbaine de Kinshasa.”

Dolet Malalu uses different mediums – acrylic, pastel, collage, papier mâché – and substrates such as wood, kraft paper, and linen canvas. His free, non-academic figuration depicts the “sape” (acronym for “Société des ambianceurs et personnes élégantes”) as a social phenom- enon in which he has been interested for more than twenty years. The papier-mâché technique also allows him to create sculptures in the round, decorative objects and other accessories.

His work outside the codes deconstructs conven- tional representations and takes a fresh look at these new dandies, the “sapeurs,” whose way of life he compares to a child’s play whose implicit claims are probably more political than they seem. Malalu is also a set designer for performances, films and concerts. He has taken part in numerous exhibitions in the Congo, France, Belgium, Italy and Spain.