Cyril Kongo

(b. 1969, French-Vietnamese)

“Graffiti is a language with its codes, a form of writing, whether it’s on a gigantic wall, a canvas, or any other surface. I am not a painter bound to a single space, nor on any particular surface.” These are words coming from one of the leading figures of the French graffiti art, Cyril Kongo, in an interview with Prestige Indonesia.

Cyril Kongo is a French graffiti artist born in 1969. He started doing graffiti as an urban street artist in 1986. In the early years of his practice, he was a solely street artist; he produced large frescoes, whether on walls or other urban constructs, throughout the world. These artworks, which unfortunately can now only be found in photos and film, gained him recognition on the international stage. His twenty years of experience in the French Graffiti scene as a member of the MAC CREW collective allowed him to hone his mastery in this discipline and earned him the title as one of the early representatives of the world’s Graffiti scene; introducing graffiti as a genre.

Kongo has significantly contributed to graffiti’s uprise as an artistic discipline. He operates intending not to change the art of graffiti but to change his and others’ perspectives on it. He does this by unhesitantly reshaping traditional codes by looking at the style through a contemporary and Avant-Garde point of view. These principles are implemented in his artworks, which usually showcase his distinctly styled lettering. Kongo’s multicultural background is a significant influence on his works. His frequent travels and engagement with people from diverse backgrounds allowed him to understand the world, thus spreading a valuable and universal message about love, freedom, and humanity through his works.

Kongo’s works gained international recognition from the many national and international festivals he participated in. He held numerous solo exhibitions, and his art was also featured in several gallery exhibitions. Most of his works are now part of exclusive private collections. Cyril Kongo has worked with D Gallerie since 2013, where he held his Solo exhibition A stroll in Paris with Kongo. In 2019, Kongo launched his solo show Les Ephémères de Cyril Kongo (Kongo’s Studio) in Jakarta with D Gallerie. Being recognized as a world-acclaimed artist, prestige brands began to commission Kongo for the creation of luxury goods. Some of his notable collaborations include a silk scarf (a carré) with Hermès in 2011, the RM 68-01 TOURBILLON CYRIL KONGO watch with Richard Mille, and a pâte de Verre spray-paint can with crystal manufacturer Daum in 2016. In 2018, Kongo had a collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld for the 2018 Chanel Métier d’Art collection shown in New York.