Zemba Luzamba (b. 1973) is an artist born and raised in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He moved to South Africa to pursue his career as an artist and this experience of migration has allowed him an intimate and sympathetic view of migrant communities which has informed many of his works over the past 15 years. A contemporary realist, Luzamba's paintings hover on the border of satire, at once appearing to mimic the colonial lifestyle of the post-colonial elites while simultaneously bringing it into question. Is this pure observation, aspiration or critique?
Solo exhibitions include (Upcoming) Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London, UK (2025); Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, West Palm Beach, USA (2024); Folk Ritual, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Berlin, Germany (2023); Kitendi, Galerie Studer, Abidjan, Ivory Coast (2023); TOTEM, EBONY / CURATED Cape Town, South Africa (2023); In the Name of…, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London, UK (2022); Connexion, EBONY/CURATED Cape Town, South Africa (2019); Déjà vu at the 5th Picha Biennale de Lubumbashi, DR Congo (2017); In The South – Paintings from 2004-(2017), Stellenbosch University Museum, South Africa (2017); Genesis, EBONY/CURATED, Franschhoek, South Africa (2016); It Is What It Is, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa (2015); LA SAPE, AVA Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa (2013); LA SAPE, AVA Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa (2012); Hope for Refugees, Rome, Italy (2005); Untitled, AVA Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa (2004).
Group exhibitions include AKAA (Also Known As Africa), EBONY/CURATED, Paris, France (2023); Africa Supernova, Museum Kade, Amersfoort, Netherlands (2023); Knokke Art Fair, Galerie Studer, Belgium (2023); Where the Wild Roses Grow, Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Schloss Görne, Germany (2023); If You Look Hard Enough You Can See Our Future, African American Museum, Dallas, USA (2023); Tomorrow is Tomorrow is Tomorrow; Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, London, UK (2023); 'Untitled Miami Beach', with Kristin Hjellegjerde Gallery, Miami, USA (2022); When We See Us, Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Zeitz MOCAA), South Africa (2022); Shout Plenty, the African Artists Foundation, Lagos, Nigeria (2022); AAGA annual African Galleries Now online edition powered by Artsy, Africa (2022); A Very Loop Street Summer, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa (2021); Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt, FNB Art Joburg, Open City, Keyes Art Mile, Rosebank, Johannesburg, South Africa (2021); 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, EBONY/CURATED booth, London, England (2021); 8 by 8, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa (2021); Investec Cape Town Art Fair, Virtual Representation, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa (2021); 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, (Virtual Representation) EBONY/CURATED, New York, US (2021); In [the] Loop, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa (2021); FNB Art Joburg online edition, Main Booth, Johannesburg, South Africa (2020); Intersect Chicago online edition of SOFA Expo, Chicago, US (2020); AKAA (Also Known as Africa) 2019, Paris, France (2019); A Smaller Scale, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa (2019); Investec Cape Town Art Fair, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa (2019); The Summer Exhibition, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa (2018); From the Horse’s Mouth, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa (2017); Beyond Binaries, Durban Art Gallery, Durban, South Africa (2016); That Art Fair, Cape Town, South Africa (2015); In Print/In Focus, Michealis Galleries, Cape Town, South Africa (2015); Inner Nature, EBONY/ CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa (2014); Emergence, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa (2014); Perspectives and Dramascapes with Wycliffe Mundopa, EBONY/CURATED, Cape Town, South Africa (2013); 1:54 Contemporary African Art, Frieze Art Fair, London (2013); First Cape Town Art Fair, Cape Town, South Africa (2013); Art for Africa, Sotheby’s New York, New York City, USA (2011); Hifa, National Gallery of Zimbabwe, Harare Zimbabwe (2008); Africa South, AVA, Cape Town, South (2007); Blank Projects, Cape Town, South Africa (2007); Sanlam Gallery, Baxter Theatre, Cape Town, South Africa (2007); Xcape Art Circuit, Voyage: Scalabrini, Cape Town, South Africa (2006); Picasso and Africa, Alliance Francaise, Cape Town, South Africa (2006); Piacenza, Italy (2005); Iziko South African National Gallery, Cape Town, South Africa (2005); Xenophonia, Alliance Francaise, Cape Town, South Africa (2004); Xenophonia, Alliance Francaise, Cape Town, South Africa (2003); P.E.L.Group of Artists, Lusaka, Zambia (1996); Visual Art Council, Lusaka, Zambia (1995).
Highlights and Collections
Luzamba’s work can be found in international private and public collections, including Fondation H Museum, Antananarivo, Madagascar; Jorge M. Pérez Collection, Miami, United States; Durban Art Gallery, South Africa, Irma Stern Museum, South Africa, Nandos Art Collection, UK/South Africa, Scalabrini House, Italy, Cultures Inc, US, Museum of Modern Art, Equatorial Guinea; Jorge M. Pérez Collection, US; The Bunker Art Space (Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection), USA; UTA Artist Space Collection, USA.