Artwork
Biography
“I hope that my work plays a tiny part in helping illustration be perceived as an art form that is no lesser than fine art itself“.
Joy Yamusangie, Metal Magazine, 2025
Born in 1993, Joy Yamusangie is a British Congolese visual artist from London, UK. They graduated from BA Illustration at Portsmouth University in 2014 and ever since, has continued to develop their practice in drawing, painting and printmaking.
Their work exists both within dream and reality, combinding black lines, bold colours and self-portraiture in a distinct act of self-appreciation, and to provide insight into their real life and memoir.
Family, memory, culture and community sit at the core of the artist’s practice and Yamusangie uses these elements to explore the Congolese diaspora from a highly personal perspective. The artist’s exploration of race, identity, and representation stem from a place of intimacy as they investigate socio-political issues within the microcosm of their own community.
Yamusangie has exhibited both nationally and worldwide including, their residency with WPÜ in Japan (2024), and artwork presentations with the Royal Academy Summer Show (2021) and Conversations exhibition with Walker Art Gallery, National Museums Liverpool (2025). In 2023, they hosted their solo exhibition Remember Me at Tiwani Contemporary in London’s Cork Street.
Their practice has expanded through collaboration and commission with luxury fashion brands like Paul Smith and Gucci. In 2021, Yamusangie also redesigned the cover for the 1936 novel Minty Alley by C. L. R. James, as part of Penguin Books curated series “Black Britain: Writing Back” with selections by Bernardine Evaristo.
Image credit:
Studio portrait by Ronan McKenzie in Juxtapoz Magazine, 2024.
Pop Shop
Media
Read: Joy Yamusangie, In Focus (2024)
Conversations Exhibition at Walker Art Gallery, National Museums Liverpool
