MAKANO (b. 2000)

MAKANO is a Congolese artist whose multidisciplinary practice places writing at its core. His work channels turbulent thought processes into layered abstract compositions, poetic fragments that occasionally crystallize into a manic, one-eyed alter-ego grinning back the artist’s name: MAKANO.

Having endured a devastating personal tragedy, MAKANO turned to art as a way to process trauma and give form to the unspeakable. At just 17, he lost both of his parents to the brutal conflict in the Democratic Republic of Congo and was forced to flee to Uganda as a refugee. There, art became his lifeline, a means to quiet the voices in his head and confront not only the turmoil in his homeland, but the broader socio-political crises shaping the world. His creative practice did not arise from passion, but from frustration and necessity. As he often says, “I don’t create coz I love to, I create coz I have to.”

Propelled by a frenetic energy, his paintings often escape the boundaries of the canvas, sprawling across any available surface within reach. MAKANO presented his debut solo exhibition I AM in 2024 at Amasaka Gallery, followed by WHITE TEETH in 2025 at Umoja Gallery. He has participated in numerous group exhibitions and international art fairs, including AKAA in Paris and the Investec Cape Town Art Fair. In 2024, he completed a residency with Blaxtarlines in Kumasi, Ghana, at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology.