People

Chicco Mwenge Mayi

DRC

Biography

Three members of Chicco Mwenge Mayi’s direct family live with albinism. Sometimes rejected by those around him, he didn’t stop pursuing his studies. Chicco decided to forge his own path through art: “art makes you free and freedom makes you great”.

Having won several poetry prizes in the field of peace and human rights at the local, national and regional level, his art can be described as Christian, peaceful and portraying a fight of the evil that exists in society. He is recognized and appreciated for his revolutionary art.

Through his work, Chicco Mwenge Mayi has participated as a coach in several peace initiatives, such as cross-border and regional dialogues. He is convinced that peace is not a signature on paper but is experienced and given as a greeting. It is a sharing or a display of the free goods that one offers to others. Chicco Mwenge Mayi does not hesitate to make his art for peace.

He urges people like himself, living with disabilities to take care of themselves and always make themselves excellent in what they do (studies, work, commerce, etc.) to gain respect, as well as to mingle with other groups; it is a practical way to integrate and fight against prejudice, to refuse to underestimate yourself and to be underestimated.

“Art has taught my to define peace. Peace is not and never will be signatures in paper.  No, peace is like a greeting that you can give to another person without knowing where it comes from. Peace is what we experience every day.” 

Chicco Mwenge Mayi