Last autumn Africalia, the Africa Platform of the Ghent University Association (GAP), Ghent University and 11.11.11 launched the photo monograph Transit — RDC in tribute to the late artist and photographer Kiripi Katembo.

The Congolese Katembo was born in 1979, in the midst of Mobutu’s dictatorship. He became one of the most promising artists of his generation. His work is characterized by a strong aesthetic and poetic dimension. In a life too short he won numerous awards.

Katembo photographed the urban chaos of the metropolis of Kinshasa and Brazzaville. By using reflections, vertiginous views, flattened perspectives, contrasting colours and by intensifying the black in his images he created cities more dazzling than ever. Katembo once started his education as a painter and his work very much shows a fruitful relationship between photography and visual art. Katembo used either a camera or a mobile phone.

Katembo was the founder of the Yango Biennale, which is based in Kinshasa, as well as the photo and video artist collective Yebala. His work has been shown at the Venice Biennale, the Berlin International Film Festival (aka the Berlinale), the New York Contemporary Art Biennial, Rencontres de Bamako, and Rencontres d'Arles.

The monograph Transit — RDC is part of the Africalia Editions [photo] collection. This collection is also a statement, the initiator of this collection series Mirko Popovitch says: “Photography has overflown Africa’s history, without really ever putting its foot down in the imagination of creators on the continent.'


This monograph on Katembo presents a selection of photos from two of his most beautiful and best-known series: Un regard and Mutations. Kiripi Katembo passed away in August 2015.

The edition is in 3 languages: French, Dutch and English

Format: 24,5 x 23,5 cm

Number of pages: 96 p.

Price: €29,00;-

ISBN: 978-90-5856-517-4

Date of publication: July 2015
Read more about the publication and order here.