For Congolese-born Masela Nkolo, art is both a creative practice and a journey home.
Through his mixed-media work, the artist, now based in Atlanta, explores identity, memory and culture, drawing on the artistic traditions of the Kongo to reconnect with his African heritage while creating something distinctly contemporary.
Artist: Nkolo was born and grew up in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo during the civil war.
As an elementary school student, Nkolo helped his teachers by reproducing illustrations from textbooks on the blackboard so that the rest of the class could study and copy them. There were no printers or photocopy machines.
Because of the lack of electricity, he often found himself repairing oil lanterns for his community, a task that became more than just a necessity. It was an entry point into exploring the value of everyday objects, he said.
For Nkolo, a walk to school was also dangerous during the war. So he carried a screwdriver – as a weapon of defense.
He later attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Kinshasa, where he earned a degree in fine arts. In 2016, he came to Atlanta.
Since 2021, Nkolo has worked from studios in Midtown Atlanta and at home.
Art & materials: Primarily sculpture and installations, using discarded and everyday materials, such as lanterns, doors and screwdrivers ($2,000 to $50,000).
Over time, these utilitarian materials in his work are reconfigured from symbols of fear and struggle into positive instruments of healing, protection and transformation.
Themes:
- Peace, social justice and healing.
- Fostering dialogue around resilience, cultural memory and the enduring human spirit.
Influences:
- African culture: “My artwork draws its strength from the cultural expressions of the Songwe, Pende, Yaka and Kuba, as well as the Baule of the Ivory Coast and the Benin styles of Nigeria,” said Nkolo.
“These skilled ironworkers, talented embroiderers and capable woodcarvers, displayed a uniqueness in their artwork that is truly one of a kind.”
- Congolese histories, practices and culture. “My work is deeply influenced by the great masters of Congolese sculpture and painting,” said Nkolo. “Whose artistic traditions continue to shape my approach to form, material, and visual storytelling.”
Recent honors:
- National Black Arts Festival award grant. 2026.
- Idea Capital grant recipient. 2025.
- South Arts Southern Prize and State Fellowship. 2025.
Recent project: “Under the Palaver Tree” is a multidisciplinary art project in which Nkolo reimagines the sacred Kongo sculptures destroyed by Portuguese forces in 1492, following the baptism of the King of Kongo into Christianity.
This violent rupture severed a vital link between cultural heritage and collective identity. Through this project, Nkolo seeks to restore that broken connection by transforming historical loss into a living artistic language.
Inspired by the palaver tree, a traditional site of dialogue, gathering, and shared decision-making, the project asks how art can reconnect communities with erased histories and create spaces for deep communal engagement.
Rather than presenting history as something distant or static, the project encourages active participation in the reappropriation of cultural memory, said Nkolo.
What’s next:
- Exhibiting with South Arts at the Atlanta Art Fair at Pullman Yards, Atlanta, GA. Oct.1-4.
- “Under the Palaver Tree” exhibit at Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh, PA. Feb. 5-May 1, 2027.
Where to buy: Contact artist: artsnkolo@gmail.com
Connect:
- Instagram: @arts_nkolo
