Munana Gatera, the art heptathlonist

For the first time in the meeting’s history the painting is made by an African artist. Munan Gatera was born in Ruanda on March, 12th 1974. He arrived in Belgium at the age of 13, first in Beauraing and then in Aywaille but he now lives and works in St Gilles (Brussels).

He can be considered as an heptathlete of arts, because Munana Gatera does not limit himself to just one discipline. He is a painter and a photographer, he makes wall tapestries and frescoes, designs scarfs and stola’s, paints ceramics and other decoration pieces.

“Once I made a puppet that was sold in favour of the “Dolls for Charity” project”, says Munana. “I then was in the company of some great names of Belgian fashion such as Natan, Gerald Watelet and Diane von Furstenberg, who all contributed to this project for disabled children.”

Munana Gatera however did not attend any School of Arts. He is an autodidact. By chance, his first paintings were spotted by a gallery owner in Paris who visited Belgian friends. Gatera’s paintings were then exposed in Paris, Brussels, Ghent and Paris again.