Aimé Mpane (Congolese, born 1968). <em>Ici on crève ("We're Dying Here")</em>, 2006–2008. Paint, wood, mixed media, each panel: 12 1/2 x 12 in. (31.8 x 30.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Caroline A.L. Pratt Fund, 2012.47a-m. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, DIG_E_2014_Double_Take_African_Innovations_04_2012.47a-m_PS4.jpg)

Aimé Mpane (Congolese, born 1968). Ici on crève ("We're Dying Here"), 2006–2008. Paint, wood, mixed media, each panel: 12 1/2 x 12 in. (31.8 x 30.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Caroline A.L. Pratt Fund, 2012.47a-m. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, DIG_E_2014_Double_Take_African_Innovations_04_2012.47a-m_PS4.jpg)

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Who is this person?

The artist doesn't tell us the identities/names of these individuals. They are all citizens of Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. She seems to be an adult woman, maybe a mother, judging by the words at the top. She represents some of the challenges of life in a major city like Kinshasa.

Ici on crève ("We're Dying Here")

Aimé Mpane

Arts of Africa

ART OF POWER
Although art has historically glorified the powerful, it can also be a means of communication and expression for those without power. These Congolese works represent opposite ends of the social spectrum.

The mwaash aMbooy mask is emblematic of royal power and prestige for the Kuba kingdom of the central Congo. It represents Woot, the founding hero from whom the Kuba trace their descent, and is worn only by the king (nyim) or by local chiefs. In both its dance and as a sculpture, it is a vision of gravity and composure.

The contemporary portraits by Aimé Mpane, in turn, depict the struggles of those without access to power. They show ordinary citizens of Kinshasa, along with representations of their fears and desires. The artist carves these images from plywood, turning two-dimensional surfaces into works filled with light and shadow (suggesting both presence and absence) that animate the stories of the dispossessed.

ARTIST Aimé Mpane, Congolese, born 1968

MEDIUM Paint, wood, mixed media

Place Made: Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

DATES 2006–2008

DIMENSIONS each panel: 12 1/2 x 12 in. (31.8 x 30.5 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Arts of Africa

ACCESSION NUMBER 2012.47a-m

CREDIT LINE Caroline A.L. Pratt Fund

EXHIBITIONS

Double Take: African Innovations

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

CAPTION Aimé Mpane (Congolese, born 1968). Ici on crève ("We're Dying Here"), 2006–2008. Paint, wood, mixed media, each panel: 12 1/2 x 12 in. (31.8 x 30.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Caroline A.L. Pratt Fund, 2012.47a-m. © artist or artist's estate (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, DIG_E_2014_Double_Take_African_Innovations_04_2012.47a-m_PS4.jpg)

IMAGE installation, DIG_E_2014_Double_Take_African_Innovations_04_2012.47a-m_PS4.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2014

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Ici on crève ("We're Dying Here")

Aimé Mpane

Arts of Africa

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