In her design practice, Kim Mupangilai reinterprets African traditions. Born in Antwerp to Belgian-Congolese parents, she uses intricate, surreal objects to reflect on the history and heritage of her ancestors. She uses natural materials: wood, stone, raffia, and banana leaf fibers.
Her debut collection consists of seven pieces. Wardrobe, chaise longue, partition, bedside tables, chairs, and bench – their shapes are stunning at first glance. The depth and complexity of these works reveal themselves the more time you spend with them. Curves, smooth contours, and rich materials are the first to attract, but the details are just as captivating. Different elements are combined to form a single whole.
Mupangilai describes her debut collection as pieces that explore her “personal cross-cultural experiences.” The seven abstract shape objects look almost unusable. Their outlines distort typical images associated with furniture. Materials were chosen for their connection to the designer’s father’s homeland, from rattan used for textile inserts and baskets to banana fiber used in cooking and food preservation.
“When people say to me, ‘I see a lot of influence from Art Nouveau,’ it’s not necessarily a compliment, but it’s almost a full-circle confirmation because indirectly they see a connection to African art that was rooted in the history of Art Nouveau. They don’t realize that Art Nouveau is largely inspired by unrecognized African influences,” comments Mupangilai.
Each item is created by hand. The result is a distinctly personal and introspective collection, demonstrating Kim’s ability to understand scale and form in functional furniture. Each piece embodies common themes of femininity, place, history, and culture. “This collection took about ten years to develop, but it allowed me to explore femininity and the cultural landscape. The work led to the formation of its alphabet and rhythm, which then became embodied in the idea of a “new design language,” says Mupangilai.
Mupangilai presented her collection at a solo exhibition entitled HUE/I/AM – HUE/AM/I in New York, at the Superhouse Vitrine Gallery. The exhibition embodies how we can imagine our own identity.
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