Nous sommes innocents

Born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, on September 07, 1990, son of painter Matondo Vata, Fabrice Matondo was introduced to art by his late father. From an early age, artist Fabrice Matondo drew his first sketches on the laterite floor, and then on pieces of paper, imitating his father's work. Fresh and colorful, Matondo's works evoke the playfulness and discovery characteristic of childhood.  It was during her youth that the artist took her first steps into the world of art. Directly in the earth or on pieces of paper, he reproduced the gestures of his father, also a painter. His family naturally supported him in his apprenticeship, which took him from the Kinshasa Institute of Fine Arts to several exhibitions in the DRC and abroad.On his canvases, the abundance of details arouses curiosity and invites attentive observation. The accumulation of small characters and other symbols recalls the work of Giuseppe Arcimboldo: cartoon heroes replacing fruits and vegetables. Familiar figures, present in the "globalized" daily lives of all children, are combined. Together, they act like trompe-l'œil, relying on our ability to recognize a silhouette and creating a unity. Childhood should be a carefree time. But on closer inspection, Fabrice Matondo finds that this is only relative. The characters resemble Walt Disney's fairytale world. Indeed, the cheerful little men contrast with the much more difficult reality. Pollution, access to education, violence and poverty are just some of the obstacles facing the young. Through her compositions, the artist insists on the importance of protecting them: a call to preserve their share of innocence, their capacity to wonder and dream.