Portrait of Merveille Kelekele Kelekele by Tinko Czetwertynski
Merveille Kelekele Kelekele’s (b 2001, Democratic Republic of the Congo) paintings depict the crossing over of our dreams into the waking hours. Raised in the Congo until age nine, Kelekele Kelekele experienced constant national and familial displacement, having been moved between houses across Europe every few years. Kelekele’s painting focuses upon his awareness of metaphysical creatures, amorphous in shape and indeterminate in size, that accompanied him through his adolescent journey. His life’s journey, spanning multiple continents and experiences, is encapsulated in the canvases, and often augmented by personal objects. Kelekele Kelekele doesn’t just paint; he orchestrates an environment where the viewer becomes an active participant in the unfolding narrative.
His work functions as a journey not just into his own psyche but into a collective consciousness, fusing nightmares and dreams into a rich tapestry of monsters, souls, and creators. Surreal, spindly creatures are set within washed natural- tone backdrops reminiscent of the pervasive, red sands from his early years in Africa. Conveying the visceral presence of these creatures within his own daily life, Kelekele often appropriates personal objects into his nightmarish tableaus, such as his beloved Kofia hats and necklaces. Hidden within each of his paintings is a seemingly aloof version of the Kelekele with a companion crow, both painted tiny in scale. Despite the magnanimous quality of these metaphysical creatures, Kelekele broaches quietly an individual’s ability to either surmount and manifest hallucinations, nightmares, hopes and dreams. In a world he describes as a "great machine" careening perhaps toward its own undoing, Kelekele Kelekele's work offers a momentary pause, a space for reflection and reorientation.
Recent solo exhibitions include Balanced Psychopath, Casa MB, Italy; and Merveille Kelekele, Association PERSAN, Paris, France. Recent group exhibitions include Nos Découvertes 2023!, Galerie du Jour agnès b., Paris, France; Rêve lucide, FLAW Gallery, Paris, France; Les Apartés Festival, Les Apartés & Point Éphémère, Paris, France, and Exposition Collective Libre n°3, 3537 Organization, Paris, France. In 2023, Kelekele was an artist- in-residence at Domo Damo in São Paolo, Brazil. Kelekele lives and works in Paris, France.