Moridja Kitenge Banza’s Love Story

Whenever I go there for my prints, they take care of me. They accompany me in my creation.

I Love L’imprimerie is an emotional propaganda campaign. With great tenderness and kindness, we solicit love letters from our faithful members. This initiative aims to cultivate the love of our community and collect donations to continue to offer professional quality services. Whether through the development of original artistic projects in residence or the accompaniment of artists through workshops and training, all the practices of print and photography are supported by the center.

Moridja Kitenge Banza lights up the month of July with his love story for L’imprimerie. A committed multidisciplinary artist, he articulates a practice around political, social and economic issues in a perspective rooted in reality and fiction. Moridja became a member in the summer of 2017, the first year of the centre’s opening, his radiant smile has accompanied us ever since in the joy of creation. We are all the more pleased to share with you his expression of affection for the centre.

“My story with L’imprimerie began when I wanted to return to photography and printing techniques. But I also needed an artist-run center where I could be a member.

Because this is the custom in Quebec, as I was told a few years ago.
When I first walked through the door, I received a warm welcome.I did not get this look that raises questions about the legitimacy of my presence in this place. I was really well received.

Immediately, I was taken care of! I met with Claude and later Caroline and the whole team. Whenever I go there for my prints, they take care of me.
They accompany me in my creation.

Image: Moridja Kitenge Banza, Je crois savoir comment il me voit – série 2_n°6

Image: Moridja Kitenge Banza, Chiromancie #10 n°2

Today I choose to support L’imprimerie, simply because it is normal to support a place like this. An artist-run center where professionals accompany you in your artistic career, and share their knowledge and experience.”

Image: Moridja Kitenge Banza, Authentique 2

Biography
Canadian Congolese artist Moridja Kitenge Banza was born in Kinshasa in 1980 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He holds degrees from l’Académie des beaux-arts de Kinshasa, from l’École supérieure des beaux-arts de Nantes Métropole and from the Humanities and Social Sciences faculty of l’Université de La Rochelle.
In 2010, he was awarded the first prize of the Biennale of Contemporary African Art, DAK’ART for his video Hymne à nousand his installation work De 1848 à nos jours.

He will return to DAK’ART in 2020 as a guest curator of the Biennial. His work was part of exhibitions at the Musée Dauphinois (Grenoble, France), at the Museum of Contemporary Art (Rosklide, Danemark), at the Arndt Gallery and Ngbk (Berlin, Allemagne), at the Biennale Internationale de Casablanca (Casablanca, Maroc), at the Fondation Attijariwafa bank (Casablanca, Maroc), at the Fondation Blachère (Apt, France) as well as at the BAnQ, at galerie Joyce Yahouda, at Oboro and at the Musée des beaux-arts de Montréal (Montréal, Canada). In 2020, his artworks will be included in group exhibitions at the Phi Foundation and at the Montreal Museum of Contemporary Art.

Discover Moridja’s artistic work by clicking here.

Watch the interview conducted by the Fabrique culturelle in collaboration with DHC/ART by clicking here.

© L’imprimerie, centre d’artistes, 2024