On today’s episode I am joined by Kriss Munsya, a Congolese-born visual artist currently living in Rio de Janeiro, with experience in photography, graphic design, music and video production. Born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and raised in Brussels, Belgium in the ‘90s, Munsya became aware of his differences early on. In his white-dominated surroundings, he became accustomed to experiences with normalised discrimination, oppression, and violence. He grew up in Brussels, Belgium in the ‘90s, and that era was very important for him. As a first- generation African immigrant, Munsya was consistently confronted with normalised and often violent racism from a young age. These experiences fed his vision of the world and himself within it. Art has been present in his life from an early age, but he decided to focus on photography five years ago because of his increasing involvement in social movements. He perceives photography to be an impactful medium that translates his experiences into open invitations to question the status quo.

On this conversation we discuss Kriss' latest project Killing Da Vinci where he has been travelling around the America's connecting with black and indigenous communities affected by environmental injustices. We delve into the ways in which living in different countries and cultures can change you, the disconnecting nature of the idea of perfection, what community means and the importance of helping others to reconnect and break cycles of loneliness and isolation. This was such an interesting and important conversation and I learnt a lot from Kriss and his experiences. I hope you enjoy listening.

To find out more about Kriss Munsya, his art and his latest projects and exhibitions you can check out the links below:

Website: https://www.krissmunsya.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krissmunsya/?hl=en

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ptur-Nx_ZxI

Podcast Host - Fenella Phoebe

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fenellaphoebe

TikTok: @fenellaphoebe

Music - Composed, performed and produced by Athena Octavia

https://www.athenaoctavia.com

https://www.instagram.com/athenaoctavia/?hl=en

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