Léonard Pongo

Léonard Pongo (b. 1988, Liège, Belgium) is a visual artist, photographer and filmmaker working between Belgium and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Rooted in the Congolese diaspora, his multidisciplinary practice draws on the country’s landscapes, cultures, philosophies and crafts to explore questions of representation, history and place.

Beginning as a documentary photographer, Pongo gradually expanded his practice to encompass experimental and abstract photography, moving image, installation and textiles. Informed by personal heritage and collective histories, his work develops poetic and allegorical narratives. His long-term projects include The Uncanny, an exploration of urban Congolese society, and Primordial Earth, an ongoing engagement with the land of the DRC.

Pongo’s work has been exhibited internationally, with solo exhibitions at Contretype (2015), Bozar (2021), The Agprognostic Temple (2021) and Mu.ZEE (2022), and group presentations including A World in Common at Tate Modern (2023) and the Festival du Jeu de Paume (2025). In 2026, he was invited by curator Koyo Kouoh to participate in the 61st International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia – In Minor Keys. His new solo exhibition Dialogue with the Source opens at FOMU in Antwerp in September 2026.