Gallery Article 15

05/21/2026

It’s a wrap! Thank you to everyone who visited our booth this year’s in New York, where we highlighted the works of Chérin Chérin, one of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC🇨🇩)’s most recognized and iconic artists. The exhibition was all the more meaningful for us given the artist’s passing in October of 2025.

Stop by the gallery or see links in bio for works still available.

05/12/2026

Please note that the gallery will be closed from May 12 to May 17 for our participation in New York. We will be available by appointment only on May 18 and 19 and will resume our regular hours on May 20. While we can be reached by email and phone while in NYC, we may be delayed in responding.

Join us at 1-54 New York at booth 19!

🎟️ Get your tickets via https://www.1-54.com/new-york/

🗓️ VIP & Press Preview:
Wednesday 13 May 2026, 11 am – 7 pm
Thursday 14 May 2026, 11 am – 4 pm

📅 Chelsea Lates:
Thursday 14 May 2026, 4 pm – 8 pm

📅 Public Days:
Friday 15 May 2026, 11 am – 7 pm
Saturday 16 May 2026, 11 am – 7 pm
Sunday 17 May 2026, 11 am – 5 pm

📍 Starrett-Lehigh Building, 600 W. 27th St, Manhattan, New York

04/26/2026

From Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo 🇨🇩to Georgetown, Washington, DC!

This special series of paintings by Congolese artist Doudou Mbemba reflect the artist’s impressions of our home in Georgetown during his visit to the gallery. Like his works of Kinshasa, the Georgetown series captures the energy, chaos and joy of everyday life in the city.

Stop by to view these works and Doudou’s solo exhibition —Metropolitan Dreams: The Energy of the City— at the gallery and online at Artsy.net through May 10, 2026.

04/05/2026

Experience the heat, energy and vibrancy of the city with our new exhibition of works by Doudou Mbemba— Metropolitan Dreams: The Energy of the City— on view at the gallery and online at Artsy.net through May 10, 2026.

Through a bold use of colors, ranging from blues and greens to yellows to reds and pinks, the artist captures the mood of the city in each work.

His recurring theme in this series, Embouteillage (Traffic Jams), transforms scenes of traffic and movement into metaphors for social structure and collective experience. Through layered compositions that emphasize texture and narrative depth, he addresses social realities while highlighting perseverance and optimism.

See links in bio for the digital viewing room and catalog.

04/03/2026

03/28/2026

Spotlight on Dolet Malalu!

Self-taught Congolese 🇨🇩 artist Dolet Malalu’s unique and provocative style of art embodies the spirit of the Congolese cultural movement known as La Sape (Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes or Society of Ambiance-Makers and Elegant People, in English). Malalu promotes a new and innovative approach to art, moving beyond classic clichés to give free rein in his technique. Working in acrylic with pastels and spray paint on canvas, his works highlight his country’s culture in a unique style among contemporary Congolese artists.

Dolet Malalu
Born 1980
Lives & Works in Kinshasa, DRC

Gallery Article 15 is pleased to offer a number of works by Dolet Malalu, both at the gallery and online, including at Artsy.net (links in bio).

03/15/2026

Gallery Article 15 is pleased to offer Aux Sources d’Une Vision by Congolese 🇨🇩master painter Chéri Chérin. This was one of the final works by Chéri Chérin before his passing in October 2025.

The work depicts the leading post-independence Congolese artists who overcame various challenges to establish and legitimize the popular painting (La peinture populaire congolaise) style in the international art world. The painting features from left to right: Chéri Samba, Monsengo Shula, Papa Moke, Badibanga, Sim Simaro, and Chéri Chérin. Each artist is presented symbolically based on what he represented to the movement. Below we highlight several of those artists depicted. Chéri Chérin— the artist of the work— is shown with a guitar, symbolizing both entertainment and his influence on the next generation of artists he mentored,. Chéri Samba is portrayed with remarkable elegance, symbolizing the value and prestige of this painting movement. Papa Moke, holding a cane, represents the godfather and driving force of the movement; the cane symbolizes leadership and authority. Badibanga, a well respected art critic, played a major role by redefining and validating this style of art. He is depicted as a tam-tam drummer—an instrument traditionally used by ancestors to announce important news.

We are excited to present a special exhibition of works by Chérin Chérin at our booth from May 13-17 .
More details coming soon about 1-54 New York.

01/24/2026

Additional highlights from our current exhibition « The Mosaic of Life: Stories of a Fractured World.»

This series of works by Congolese 🇨🇩artist Jérôme Kasongo, presented in the artist’s first ever show in the United States, explores the world around him. The artist portrays the tensions and challenges of his home in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC): chaotic urban development, deforestation, illiteracy, unemployment, rural exodus and labor exploitation. Humans, animals, and plant motifs, linked by colored lines, vibrate in his works. The lines he traces are active scars, paths in a fractured world evoking the wounds of social injustice.

On view at the gallery and online (links in bio).

01/23/2026

Gallery Article 15 is excited to showcase works from our current exhibition —The Mosaic of Life: Stories of a Fractured World.

The exhibition features all new works by Jérôme Kasongo in his first international show.

For self-taught Congolese artist Jérôme Kasongo (born 1991; lives & works in Lubumbashi , DRC 🇨🇩) cracks and breaks are part of the human experience, each representing a noble scar, a trace of struggle in the mosaic of life. This series of works explores what the artist sees around him, transforming fractured lines into vibrant mosaics that reflect life’s stories.

View these beautiful works at the gallery and online (links in bio).

DM or email us at [email protected] to receive a digital catalog.

11/20/2025

Gallery Article 15 is proud to support emerging artistic talent in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC 🇨🇩) gain exposure to the U.S. art market through our Young Artists Collective, Collectif A15.

This is the first in a series of posts highlighting artists from Collectif A15. All works featured are available at the gallery and online (see links in bio).

Marc Makalu
Born 1998
Lives and works in Kinshasa, DRC

Marc Makalu’s works focus on key social themes impacting the DRC 🇨🇩 such as the exploitation of natural resources, child labor, and the effects of globalization and capitalism. With a humanist approach, Marc uses his art to raise awareness of social injustices, critiquing modern systems. While the portraits of his subjects are deeply haunting, the subjects also display great dignity.

Marc Makalu
Born 1998
Lives and works in Kinshasa, DRC

Painting #1:
Visage du trauma
2025
Acrylic on canvas
90 x 80 cm

Painting #2:
Labyrinthe intérieur
2025
Acrylic on canvas
100 × 100 cm

11/14/2025

Experience the energy, vibrancy, beauty and chaos of Kinshasa, the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo 🇨🇩 , through the works of artist Houston Maludi.

Houston Maludi calls his unique style of painting Monochromique Cubism Symbiotique Quantique, a unique form of cubism. The artist finds his inspiration in the city, notably the vibrant metropolis of his home in Kinshasa, DRC. This is a world filled with an abundance of human activity. The artist sees inside the lives of people and not the other way around, constructing a narrative of the vibrancy that is life. His works contain endless details, some of which emerge only with the viewer’s change in perspective. Working exclusively in two colors– red and blue, reflecting the two ends of the electromagnetic spectrum– he blurs distinctions between near and far, structure and chaos. His use of a limited color palette in each work creates a painting style that is almost graphic in its effect.

At the same time, the artist highlights how perception can change based on our perspective. What may or may not appear visible at first, can suddenly appear with a different viewpoint.

These works create endless interpretations based on the viewer’s perpective, enabling the painting to appear new upon each view.

Gallery Article 15 is pleased to present a number of works by Houston Maludi, including a special collection of smaller works commissioned by the gallery that can be arranged in various configurations.

Houston Maludi
Born 1978
Lives and works in Kinshasa, DRC