.

“My name is Joel Mamboka. I am from Congo, DRC. I studied art(s) in Kinshasa; fine arts. I’m a fine artist, a visual artist. When I was studying I was studying modern arts. So right now I’m in between doing modern arts and contemporary. So I’m calling myself a visual artist because I’m in 2 worlds. 

My dad was an artist. He wasn’t an artist but he went to study art when he was young. So he didn’t finish his arts school. He just went for 2 years. Then he studied other stuff. He ended up being an accountant. But my dad was an artist. 

There is one proverb that says we are born an artist, we don’t become an artist. We are born with those skills. Since I was young I used to draw storyboards, dragon ball z. I like to watch Munga; Munga when I was so young. From that side, my dad saw this thing, he saw the talent. When I reached the age to choose what I need to do in life, my dad proposed me to do fine art. He gave me a choice. He proposed 2 things: do you want to do engineering or to be an artist? So I was choosing to be an artist“