Today waste management - especially plastic - on a global scale is more worrying than ever.
The Democratic Republic of Congo stands among countries most affected by the lack of
accountability of manufacturers relocating and outsourcing huge landfills on its soil. Ranked
as the 8th poorest population in the world despite their country's immense mineral wealth the
Congolese people is overrun by garbage left by goods produced with their own resources and
labor but yet designed for others. A folk-art movement was born from the junkyards of Kinshasa.
Dressed in masks and costumes made from rubbish a generation of street children and artists
from Kinshasa's Academy of Fine Arts have come together to create Ndaku ya la vie est belle.
Founded in 2015 by visual artist Eddy Ekete this art collective brings together 25 creators
who draw their inspiration from ancestral clothing arts to stand against the ecological
disaster their country suffers. To amplify their struggle and celebrate their craft Stéphan
Gladieu creates a series of totemic portraits merging documentary photography with artistic
practice. In a live studio set up on the streets of Kinshasa he highlights the militant
artists' surrealist silhouettes and vibrant creations. Introduced by novelist Wilfried N'sondé
these portraits tell a story of creative talent passed on despite the attacks of consumerism.
