Immortal Swirls Cradling A Fallen Sun at Smac Art Gallery Cape Town

Born in 1988, Belgian-Congolese visual artist and filmmaker, Léonard Pongo lives and works between Belgium and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He holds a BA in Political and Social Sciences from Maastricht University and a BA in Photography from the Brussels Art School. A co-director of The Photographic Collective, he mentors emerging artists at MINO Lab alongside Otobong Nkanga, is an associate researcher at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts Antwerp, and lectures at the Kinshasa Academy of Fine Arts. His work has been exhibited internationally, including at the Rencontres de Bamako, Dakar Biennale, Lagos Photo Festival, and the Beijing Photo Biennale. His awards include the CAP Prize for Contemporary African Photography (2023) and the Prix de l’OIF (2019). In 2026, Pongo will present a solo exhibition at FOMU, Antwerp.