Jean Claude LOFENIA, KINSHASA, 1984. Lives and works in Indianapolis, USA "La culture est l'identité du peuple". Acrylic on canvas. 76 x 61 cm. Signed lower right, dated 2023. The visual artist Jean-Claude Lofenia is from a family with no artistic tradition. He started drawing at the age of eight, initially as a game, but later created sketches and comic strips, which contributed to the development of his imagination. During his stay in the atelier of the renowned painter Chéri Chérin (1955), he developed his talent and technique. His style moves from traditional Congolese popular art to a more contemporary spirit. Lofenia describes himself as an “incarnation of the future”, anticipating the future through the phenomena he depicts. Additionally, his creations serve as an invitation to convey a message of hope and build a collective memory. The explosion of vivid colors and playful shapes give his works their power. As a symbolical and figurative artist, he has become an important figure in the contemporary Congolese art scene presenting his work exhibitions all over the world, notably in the DRC, elsewhere in Africa, Europe and America..