Color, Memory, Identity: Maty Biayenda
Born in 1998 in Namibia to a French mother and Congolese father, Maty Biayenda is a Paris-based artist blending painting, textile design, illustration, video, and installation into a kaleidoscopic artistic universe.
Biayenda’s work weaves together archival materials—from personal photographs and historical documents to fashion magazine imagery—forming vibrant visual narratives that challenge social, racial, and gender constructs. Her canvases often evoke memories of Paris Is Burning, honoring voguing figures and nightlife icons, including Octavia St. Laurent and Jenny Bel’Air.
Through layered compositions—images printed on muslin, expressive brushwork on skin tones, and deft incorporation of gestural moments such as friends chatting or riding a motorcycle—she evokes themes of community, intimacy, and representation
Biayenda’s debut solo exhibition, La Caresse des Coquettes, debuted in September 2024 at Double V Gallery in Paris, curated by Martha Kirszenbaum. Her work also featured in Minor Attractions 2024, held at The Mandrake Hotel in London, spotlighting new paintings like Marcelline et Aurel and Le dessert.
In addition, she was among the finalists listed for the 2025 BNP Paribas Banque Privée Prize—a prestigious award spotlighting figurative painting in France—highlighting her nuanced treatment of cultural identity, trans identity, and colorism, with references that echo masters like Manet and Georgia O’Keeffe.
As a figure in the vanguard of contemporary art, Biayenda is cited among the young creators redefining the next generation’s canon—a reflection of identity-rich, digitally fluent, multi-dimensional practices.
Maty Biayenda stands out as a painter and multimedia artist whose work speaks volumes about identity, intimacy, and representation in our times. Her stylized portraits, luxurious colors, and archival aesthetics are cinematic explorations of belonging, visibility, and myth-making. Whether seen in gallery halls or through the lens of critical praise, her work demands attention—and promises lasting relevance.
