Léonard Pongo, Untitled ('The Uncanny'), 2023 | courtesy of the artist and Kristof De Clercq gallery
We are excited to announce that Belgian-Congolese photographer and gallery artist Léonard Pongo has been recognised as a Future Great by renowned artist Roger Ballen in ArtReview's 2025 selection.
In his haunting black-and-white photography series, The Uncanny, Pongo transforms the familiar into the mysterious, using disorienting perspectives and long exposures to capture figures dissolving into shadows and landscapes that defy easy understanding. His work isn't just photography – it's a journey into the spiritual and psychological undercurrents of life in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
What makes Pongo's work truly remarkable, according to Roger Ballen? His ability to reject conventional storytelling and fixed narratives, allowing viewers to engage with Congo's complex reality on an emotional and intuitive level.
By intertwining the spiritual, secular, and surreal, he challenges common preconceptions about African photography and invites us to experience the vibrant, nuanced life of Congo through a new lens.
Upcoming exhibitions:
- Festival du Jeu de Paume, Paris (Feb 7-Mar 23)
- Afropolitan Festival, Bozar, Brussels (Feb 27-Mar 2).
Read the full article here.
Order Léonard Pongo's publication The Uncanny here.
