Portrait of Géraldine Tobe ©Studio Vanssay. Photo courtesy of AFIKARIS Gallery, Paris.

“I needed to go beyond brushes and traditional painting. Smoke is unpredictable, creating forms I can't entirely control and representing this connection between the material and the immaterial.” Géraldine Tobe’s words encapsulate her audacious approach to art, where the elusive nature of smoke becomes a bridge between the physical and the spiritual. Her technique transcends conventional boundaries, allowing smoke's unpredictable, ephemeral essence to mirror the deeper, intangible forces she seeks to explore through her work.

Born in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo, Tobe has transformed trauma into a deeply personal expression, using smoke as both medium and metaphor. Accused of witchcraft as a child and subjected to violent exorcism, Tobe channels personal suffering into powerful artworks that explore ancestral beliefs, colonial religion, and the collective pain of Congolese women, intertwining spiritual and historical narratives.

Her technique of using oil lamp smoke is both symbolic and technically innovative. The ethereal shapes formed by the smoke embody a fragile balance between destruction and creation, representing trauma and memory in their fleeting presence. This approach has garnered praise for its emotional and symbolic depth.

Géraldine Tobe, ‘Vanité de vanité,’ 2022. Smoke on canvas. 130 x 170 cm (51 x 67 in). Photo courtesy of AFIKARIS Gallery, Paris.

Tobe's work attracted particular attention during the 2018 Dakar Biennial. It has also been the subject of solo exhibitions in Brussels, Kinshasa, and Madagascar. In September 2024, her first solo exhibition in France — “Dans la fumée” (“In the smoke”) — was held at the AFIKARIS Gallery. Her most recent work will be part of the upcoming exhibition “The True Size of Africa” at the Völklinger Hütte in Germany, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

“Creating with fire might sound conflicting, but she had to destroy to recreate and find her very unique way of doing art,” says Michaëla Hadji-Minaglou, gallery manager and lead curator at AFIKARIS in Paris. “She didn’t listen to those who told her to stick to painting. This is why her art is unique: the result of her perseverance and abnegation.”

In an interview with Global Voices, Tobe spoke about the therapeutic power of art, her experiences growing up in Congo, and how her unique technique allows her to explore themes of resilience, memory, and healing.

Excerpts from the interview follow: 

Omid Memarian (OM): You’ve spoken about how your childhood, marked by accusations of witchcraft and violent exorcism, shaped you. How did those experiences influence your path as an artist, and how do they manifest in your work today?

Géraldine Tobe (GT): My childhood was indeed marked by painful moments. This trauma became central to my journey as an artist and person because it pushed me to transform that pain into strength. My art became a means of resilience and healing. These experiences manifest in my work through a mystical and spiritual approach to suffering. Smoke allows me to express what words cannot, functioning as a form of therapy and openness. When we create, we share the expression of our soul.

Géraldine Tobe, ‘Vanité de vanité,’ 2022. Smoke on canvas, 130 x 170 cm (51 x 67 in). Photo courtesy of AFIKARIS Gallery, Paris.

OM: Can you share your perspective on the current art scene in Congo?

GT: The Congolese art scene is booming. There’s a wealth of creativity, with young artists questioning traditional stories and contemporary realities. International audiences should understand that Congolese artists are not limited to depicting suffering or violence; they also explore themes of beauty, resistance, and the complexity of identity. We have stories that go beyond clichés.

OM: There’s been a surge in global exhibitions spotlighting African artists. What fuels this newfound interest in African art, and how does it impact shared narratives?

GT: There’s growing awareness that African art has been under-represented and undervalued for decades. Audiences and institutions now recognize the diversity and depth that African artists bring. This interest stems from rediscovering historical and contemporary narratives, with artists challenging colonial perspectives. This shift is significant because it allows marginalized voices to express their history and vision of the world.

Exhibition view of Géraldine Tobe’s solo show ‘Dans la fumée,’ AFIKARIS Gallery, Paris. September 2024. Photo: Studio Vanssay, courtesy of AFIKARIS Gallery, Paris

OM: Your work explores ancestral beliefs, colonial religion, and personal suffering. How do your experiences inform the themes and emotional power of your art?

GT: As a Congolese woman, I carry a collective memory marked by colonization alongside deep spiritual beliefs from my culture. My work is adorned with symbols like scarification marks, which in ancestral society carried teachings and represented the divine. My work addresses suffering but also focuses on healing. It’s a tribute to women's resilience and ability to transform pain into strength. Ancestral beliefs inspire me to link the past with the present, exploring tensions between modernity and tradition.

OM: Do you find the process of creating art therapeutic? 

GT: Absolutely. Creating art is therapy for me. The use of smoke, which I began in 2012, embodies both ephemerality and eternity. Smoke represents destruction and healing. Each work is like a ritual, allowing me to revisit and transform my traumas into something beautiful. This process has helped me access emotions that I might not have understood without art.

OM: Your technique of painting with oil lamp smoke is unique. How did this concept emerge, and how do you approach it in terms of technique and symbolism?

GT: This technique came from my quest for artistic freedom. I needed to go beyond traditional painting. Smoke is unpredictable and represents a connection between the material and immaterial. It symbolizes both destruction and rebirth, a metaphor for life. Technically, it requires patience and precision to guide the smoke while leaving room for spontaneity. Symbolically, smoke embodies memory, spirits, and purification, all central themes in my work.

Géraldine Tobe. ‘Vanité de vanité,’ 2022. Smoke on canvas 170 x 130 cm (67×51 in). Photo courtesy of AFIKARIS Gallery, Paris.

OM: How has your work been received in Kinshasa and across Congo? 

GT: Initially, my work provoked a lot of discussion, particularly because I explored sensitive themes like witchcraft, which is often taboo. Acceptance took time. However, exhibiting at the Kinshasa and Dakar Biennials opened up opportunities. My work arouses curiosity, primarily due to the originality of the technique. It’s seen as challenging traditional norms and offering new perspectives on our past and future.

OM: How do you balance the message with ensuring the art remains the focus?

GT: I consider myself a committed artist rather than an activist. I aim to provoke thought and dialogue while raising awareness. I believe art should, first and foremost, be a visual and emotional experience. If a message is too explicit, it can lose its impact. Art should allow viewers to interpret it individually. That’s why I leave an element of ambiguity in my work. I want to convey strong ideas, but I also want the viewer to find their own meaning.

Exhibition view of Géraldine Tobe’s solo show ‘Dans la fumée,’ AFIKARIS Gallery, Paris. September 2024. Photo: Studio Vanssay, courtesy of AFIKARIS Gallery, Paris

OM: What are you currently working on, and how does this new body of work reflect your personal experiences or broader societal issues?

GT: I’m currently in residence at the Käte Hamburger Research Centre at Saarland University in Germany, working on a project related to cultural practices of repair. This is in collaboration with the Völklingen Museum for the upcoming group exhibition “The True Size of Africa.” My project pays homage to the deceased workers of the Völklinger Hütte factory by reviving their memory through smoke. This project is deeply personal because it reflects themes of recognition and oblivion. By linking the factory's history with that of African people, I’m drawing connections between workers’ struggles and colonial suffering. The factory now symbolizes resilience and repair, themes that are dear to me.

OM: How do current global affairs influence your creative process?

GT: I’m very sensitive to what’s happening in the world — issues of injustice and suffering. Artists absorb what surrounds them, and global events inevitably impact my work. We live in a time of great uncertainty, politically, environmentally, and socially. My work reflects these tensions, capturing the energy of the times while offering a space for reflection and resistance.

Géraldine Tobe, ‘Royaume des Damnés,’ 2021. Smoke on canvas, 200 x 170 cm (79 x 67 in). Photo courtesy of AFIKARIS Gallery, Paris.