Ntoto Yo- Ke Yidika, a phrase borrowed from a Kikongo expression, means “the Earth can heal”, underscoring that the Earth is the origin of all life and that life can be restored through the Earth. On another level, Ntoto also evokes sculpture, because art, too, has the power to heal. This work focuses on two essential elements: art and dialogue, which are key tools in the process of healing and repair. One begins by addressing the fractures of the past – such as the history of war and colonialism – along with the emotions and wounds they have left behind. Certainly, it may feel too late to revisit these painful chapters. Still, intention is to take a positive step forward and initiate a genuine process in this direction. The project also draws inspiration from a Bantu proverb, KUFUA KUVUA, literally: to “to die is to return”. The end of one life leads to the beginning of another. Through art, there is the possibility of creating a new, hopeful narrative. To foster healing and repair is to imagine a new way of thinking. Our work is an invitation for each person to reflect on themselves. Healing and repair must start with individuals before it can grow into a collective effort, because we all carry wounds that need mending, and we all know that the journey of healing is a fragile one. It may never be an easy task, but every journey must begin somewhere.
GÉRALDINE TOBE
CURRICULUM VITAE
Géraldine Tobe Mutumande was born in 1992 in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where she continues to live and work. In 2012, she graduated with a degree in painting from the Academy of Fine Arts in Kinshasa. Since 2014, she has been exploring the spirituality of her ancestors – a process she sees as both self-reconciliation and a form of resilience. In 2019, after being invited by the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Brussels for a residency focused on the spiritual identity of her ancestors, she decided to turn this endeavour into a collaborative project. She named it “Spirit of the Ancestors.” She is also the creator of the project Mental Handicap, which organizes art therapy workshops for psychiatric patients in Kinshasa. In addition, she founded the organization LOBOKO YA SANSA. Géraldine Tobe uses black smoke as the centrepiece of her work – symbolizing introspection and an inward journey. Her artistic process involves mastering the smoke, shaping it with her intention and aesthetic vision.
