Yvanovitch Mbaya was born in the Republic of Congo and now lives and works in Casablanca, Morocco. His productions are enriched by the places he travels, near and far. Through a multidisciplinary practice of drawing, video, installation, and performance, Mbaya works in the manner of a sociologist, studying the social and cultural behaviors of his environment. Depicting scenes from the artist's memory, the anonymous figures in Mbaya’s drawings are unified within a universal human experience. His earthy materials – coffee, charcoal, indigo – ground them with a common essence. These materials, sourced from several African nations, are also linked to place, culture, and history. Influenced by his extensive travels across Africa and experience as the Other, Mbaya celebrates difference as well as what connects us.
Mbaya graduated from the National School of Fine Arts in Brazzaville, where he was a student of the acclaimed Congolese artist, writer, and set designer Bill Kouélany. Mbaya‘s works have been exhibited widely in Africa, including his recent solo show at CDA Gallery in Casablanca, as well as in France, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.