Hugo Kabeya

Dilapitated Tents:
„This series of paintings looks at the impact of illegal mineral mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with specific reference to cobalt. The Congo has always been a naturally rich country in terms of resources, having an abundance of cobalt and copper, hydropower potential, significant arable land, immense biodiversity, and the world’s second-largest rainforest.

Despite all this wealth, the country remains destitute with the forced eviction of entire communities, grievous human rights abuses and wars started by vigilante groups over mineral-rich territories. With cobalt being precious and abundant, many individuals, adults and children alike, are constantly exploited, working in mines and getting paid peanuts compared to the tremendous amounts generated by large tech companies acquiring these illegally mined minerals from unvalidated sites in the Congo. This story of “conflict minerals” forever plagues the nation, with new generations being born into the same cycle of war and unending exploitation.“

These works explore the fine lines between what is socially acceptable, looking at the technological devices we hold today and the means by which they were made, that being exploitation, child labor, the abuse of human rights, and the most prevalent being widespread displacement of communities caused by conflict for natural resources.

This leads to millions having their lives uprooted and villages pillaged by vigilantes looking to secure and control mineral-rich territories; with this displacement, many wind up having to live their lives in camps and confront harsh realities like insecure housing, minimal resources, unclean water, etc.

Despite these difficult circumstances, there are still signs of hope and solidarity among many, which essentially signifies that people with strong willpower cannot be permanently suppressed or held back.

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