Using handmade needles and thread, 82-year-old Lucie Kamusekera has meticulously recorded the decades of conflict she has lived through in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Born in 1944 in Lubero, North Kivu, she learned sewing from Italian nuns at a convent school. Now, she creates unique artworks on tobacco sacks, depicting events from the colonial era to the recent M23 rebel offensive.
A Life of Chaos and Displacement
Kamusekera's journey mirrors the displacement of millions of Congolese. Married to a trader, she moved to his village of Kibirizi, but violence forced the family to flee to Goma over 20 years ago. There, she began stitching contemporary history after witnessing a military truck filled with corpses. Her husband was later captured by rebels, tortured, and died from his injuries.
Her Artistic Legacy
With over 70 pieces, Kamusekera's archive vividly portrays Patrice Lumumba's assassination, Belgian colonial brutality, and the Second Congo War. Her family now assists her in the studio, ensuring her style continues. A great-granddaughter, Divine Kyetia, helps annotate drafts and negotiate with clients.
Despite M23's occupation limiting her work, Kamusekera refuses to leave. She believes her tapestries will outlast social media and the internet, serving as a historical record for future generations. "The next generation must learn the history of Congo," she says. "These works will be my legacy."
