Freddy Tsimba

The Congolese sculptor Freddy Tsimba made a name for himself by collecting cartridge cases from conflict areas and painstakingly welding them together to create sculptures. These Sihouettes effacées (anonymous silhouettes), the nameless victims of human folly, are mainly women who are pregnant. Tsimba’s works are bleak but they are not designed to shock. His intention is to depict and denounce war, both in Congo and all other conflicts. The harsh nature of the message does not mean that the shapes are without beauty. The depiction of pregnant women conveys a message of hope as Tsimba tells us that despite everything, “life always prevails.”

Freddy Tsimba does not limit himself to using cartridge cases. He works with plenty of other collected metal items, which for some symbolize death (machetes and mousetraps), for others oppression (chains) and addiction (capsules). In fact, the symbolism of the works is very frequently two-fold, as the message behind the works is never hopeless. For instance, keys express imprisonment but also the idea of opening the door to freedom, while spoons convey both hunger and subsistence, and Tsimba likes to reiterate that machetes are first and foremost agricultural tools.

Freddy Tsimba is living and working in Kinshasa (DRC).