Merveille Kelekele Kelekele’s exhibition, LIKE A MAGIC, WELCOME TO L.A., traverses Los Angeles through the eyes of a first-time visitor to the city. He made the paintings while in residency in LA for the summer, experiencing the nuances the city holds.
The city acts as a backdrop for a marked departure from his previous paintings, where his metaphysical creatures had existed in spaces undefined by any specific location. Now, they find themselves rooted in the vibrant and varied terrain of Los Angeles. The city’s multitudes—its juxtaposition of vast, sun-drenched beaches with the quiet isolation of urban solitude—are captured in bright colors and textured surfaces that bring the scenes to life. The figures also find themselves presenting moments from Kelekele Kelekele’s life, whereas in past paintings they were representational of mental states and internal monologues. Now they find themselves reliving moments in an almost dreamlike state, such as in paintings like Avec Olivier, Malibu était magnifique and Avec Lauren, les poissons étaient gros, where they find themselves observing, playing, and even taking delight in their new terrain. Sometimes they leave their fellows drowning in the Pacific Ocean, while at other times they follow giant fish swirling through sky and sea.
The figures in Kelekele Kelekele’s work, previously floating in undefined metaphysical realms, now interact with the natural world, becoming part of the landscapes they inhabit. These universal spirits, with earth-like forms, seem to emerge from the very ground they stand on, blending seamlessly into the foliage and terrain of Los Angeles. Yet, despite their newfound connection to a place, they retain their mystical qualities, absorbing the energy and spirit of the city while reflecting the emotions of its inhabitants. This is all to say that his observations on Los Angeles are neutral. It’s a place so vast and unfolding that it takes years for people who have made it their home to truly understand and come to terms with.
The figures in Kelekele Kelekele’s work are universal spirits, almost otherworldly entities that absorb and reflect the emotions and experiences of the people around them. These forms seem to emerge from the earth itself, rooted in the land yet fluid in their identity. They are both observers and participants, embodying a collective spirit. Works like Des nuages de doute, des vagues d'espoir look at the intersection of personal and collective histories. In the painting, he introduces a fantastical palm tree with faces etched into coconut shapes, watching over a hunched figure that has its hands outstretched to a squirrel in one direction and a raccoon in another—figures that seem plucked from a fable, yet, as the title hints, are rooted in the everyday struggles of belonging.
LIKE A MAGIC, WELCOME TO L.A. captures some of the enigmatic essence of Los Angeles, but doesn’t define it. Instead, it offers a nuanced portrayal of a city that reveals its layers slowly, with each encounter offering something new.
Merveille Kelekele Kelekele (b. 2001 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo) is currently attending Beaux-arts de Paris in Paris, France. Recent solo exhibitions include Balanced Psychopath, Casa MB, Milan, Italy; and Merveille Kelekele, Association PERSAN, Paris, France. Recent group exhibitions include The Science of Freedom, Curated by Saša Bogojev, Albertz Benda Gallery, New York, NY; Soft Focus, Bradley Ertaskiran, Montréal, Canada ; Nos Découvertes 2023!, Galerie du Jour agnès b., Paris, France; Rêve lucide, FLAW Gallery, Paris, France. In 2023, he was an artist-in-residence at Domo Damo in São Paolo, Brazil. Kelekele Kelekele lives and works in Paris, France.
