Chéri Samba

Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

L’arbre (1987) is a vibrant and introspective meditation on success, reputation, and the role of the artist in society, rendered in the acclaimed Congolese painter’s signature style. The painting is both visually striking and layered with meaning.

In L’arbre, Samba includes both his image and text, invoking a well-known proverb, with his own twist: “L'arbre sterile ou aux fruits amers n'est jamais l'objet des jets de pierres,” or, “The barren tree or the one with bitter fruits is never the target of stone throwing.” This sentiment, further elaborated in Samba’s inscription, explicitly refers to the scrutiny and criticism that accompanies achievement and creative productivity: “The immortal Cheri Samba Wa Mbimba or ‘Mr. The Tree’. The barren tree or the one with bitter fruits is never the target of stone throwing. The time of Kisita, it’s a time that doesn't stop, a time where the words aren't easy to understand. That's the case of the immortal Cheri Samba Wa Mbimba.” Here, Samba alludes to biblical wisdom (Matthew 7:17-18), while filtering it through his personal experience and the particular pressures of public life in Kinshasa.

As Bogumil Jewsiewicki notes, L’arbre is part of a series in which Samba places himself at the heart of the narrative. The artist’s self-portrait is a source of commentary—on envy, fame, and the complexities of being a creator in a society that both reveres and scrutinizes those who bear ‘good fruit.’ The vivid, sparkling surface, with its use of glitter and bold coloring, amplifies the painting’s allegorical message and reflects Samba’s pioneering synthesis of popular urban culture and fine art.

L’arbre represents an opportunity to collect not only a key work by one of Africa’s most influential contemporary painters, but also a universal meditation on success, perseverance, and the price of standing out.