The Journey Within

Ndaya Ilunga’s work explores self-actualization through dream psychology, drawing on Carl Jung’s archetypes to shape new mythological and folklore-inspired representations. Central motifs include The Swan, her creative alter ego; the stairs, symbolizing shifts between consciousness and dreams versus reality; and the woman in the red cloth, a reference to Congo’s ongoing crisis and bloodshed linked to natural resources.

As an Afrofuturist surrealist, Ilunga reimagines the Black experience through self-portraiture, abstraction, and distortion. The female form often serves as her muse, challenging gender and racial constructs while situating Black bodies in diverse environments. By incorporating Old Master imagery, she provokes viewers to expand their perspectives and encounter art in new ways.

Her creative process intertwines research and physical painting, using acrylics and oils to layer meaning. Through this, new theories and visual languages emerge organically, addressing trauma, forgotten histories, and the need for more African folklore and mythology.

Set within Congolese landscapes—tropical, swamp-like, and sometimes underwater—her works invite viewers to uncover hidden artifacts and symbols. Ndaya Swan, depicted as a swan-bodied figure with a human head, embodies Ilunga’s reconciliation with dualities: spiritual versus physical, personal versus collective, and myth versus lived reality.

Influenced by thinkers such as Jung, Nietzsche, Dolores Cannon, and Teal Swan, Ilunga emphasizes authenticity and connection. Her art becomes both a mirror of inner worlds and a connective thread to humanity, positioning her as a visionary who expands how African identity and experience can be represented.