Cinthia Sifa Mulanga Congolaise, b. 1997

Cinthia Sifa Mulanga’s mixed-media paintings and collages stage Black women within richly furnished interiors, treating rooms as extensions of the sitter’s psyche. The artist layers figures and images of women, typically sourced from popular culture or the history of classical western painting, using the juxtaposition to critique Eurocentric beauty ideals while celebrating radical self-confidence. Narrative spaces become multi-voiced portraits exploring identity, aspiration and belonging. 

Born in 1997 Lubumbashi (DRC), Cinthia Sifa Mulanga relocated to Johannesburg in 2006 where she currently lives and works. She studied printmaking at Artist Proof Studio before embracing painting and collage work both of which have come to define her practice. 

Mulanga was recognised as a breakout artist by the Artsy Vanguard 2023, with highlights that include solo presentations such as ‘Giants’, Latitudes Centre, Johannesburg (2023); ‘Embrace’, Bode Projects, Berlin, (2023); and ‘In The Becoming’, Goodman Gallery, London (2022); as well as the group presentation ‘When We See Us’, Zeitz MOCAA, Berlin (2022-23).