STORY

David is a congolese artist based in Belgium who works with frameless wooden paintings, aiming to preserve the rawness of tender emotions with a unique cultural warmth. His art shares the history of imagery with the audience and embraces three distinctive methods of black-and-white paintings. Each wooden frame radiates a diversity of emotions and moods, establishing David as a recognized figure among his fans and admirers. In addition to portraits, he is also a graphic designer. EARLY YEARS David was born in the capital city of Kinshasa. At a very young age, his parents made the difficult decision to move to Belgium with his brother and four sisters. Although the artist currently resides in the historic city of Mechelen, his first real contact with Europe began in the capital of Belgium, the international city of Brussels (Wallonia). His strong bond with his family influences his art, reflecting the tenderness of a young child when he first parted from his friends and loved ones at the age of six. At eight years old, David embarked on learning Dutch. He was determined to master this new language. David himself states that this complete immersion in a different culture has helped shape the artist he is today. The experiences he gained in a new country and the loss of his father at a young age are the driving forces that resonate in his art. David's most notable statement is: "My awkward childhood turned out to be a blessing." "At a young age, I realized I was searching for solutions, and I feel that made me more independent," David says. As a teenager, he paid for his own high school education, including books and school trips. His mother would always ask, "Do you have everything?" and each time he assured her with a "yes," he kept his word. He even hid from her the fact that he was working to support the family. CAREER In high school, Katshiunga finally painted his very first artwork, and he has never stopped since. During that time, he mainly painted for himself, using art as a means to process various emotions. "I was dealing with certain feelings and emotions, and I wanted to capture what I had experienced on wood, preferably on old doors and panels. Wood is a material that has lived, and through wood, I want to depict how a person has lived." Despite his growth as an artist, his vision for using wood as a medium for his paintings has remained intact. Katshiunga's Congolese roots have an impact on his work, although he believes that these references unconsciously seep into all of his works. Awarded - Artist Award 2015 (Africa Film Festival)