Photographer Profile ~ Colin Delfosse.

Born in 1981, Colin Delfosse grew up in Brussels, Belgium where he is currently based. He graduated in journalism, then turned to documentary photography in 2006 and cofounded a photographic collective and worked with various agencies. As a freelance photographer, Delfosse keeps a strong focus on meaningful and personal long-term projects in Central Africa.

After his first assignment in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) covering the elections in 2006 he was drawn back to DRC frequently, focusing on social and contemporary issues in the region. His work on Kinshasa’s voodoo wrestlers is the starting point of the international recognition of his work.

In his series ‘Fulu Act’, Colin Delfosse set out to illuminate the ecological and social consequences of the several tones of consumption goods and rubbish that are dumped in the streets of the Congolese capital every year, He started photographing a community of "KinAct" artist-performers dressed in fantastical costumes made almost entirely of recycled materials.

Explaining the concept, Delfosse reveals that “fulu” in Lingala translates to waste or rubbish bin, an apt description for the recycled materials that form the artists’ costumes.

These elaborate costumes, crafted from discarded items, serve as potent symbols of protest against issues such as pollution, poverty, and healthcare deficiencies.

 Junior Mungongu @junior10bureaux - Bolole Nkemi ("I’m the idiot:") costume

Tickson Mbuyi @ticksonmbuyi - in a  condom costume in “Bon Marché” district, a popular nightlife neighborhood in Kinshasa.

Jean Precy Numbi Samba @precy_numbi - costume made from used car parts

Florian Sinanduku @anassfloryan - pill costume, Selembao district

. “In Kinshasa, and in the whole country, finding medicine is still a big issue. You never know where it comes from and what it is made of. You can find pills everywhere, but most of them are coming from China, and came here without any control”, says Florian Sinanduku.

Congolese artist Nada Thsibwabwa @nadatshibwabwa -

Eddy Ekete @eddy_ekete - Limete district

Belgian Photographer Colin Delfosse's "Fulu Act" is a photography series that captures performance artists from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) wearing fantastical costumes they have made from recycled trash. Pictured is Congolese artist Eddy Ekete wearing his tin can suit in the Limete district of DRC's capital city, Kinshasa.

Falonne Mambu @falonneluamba - electric wires costume in Limete district

            Abdoulaye Kinzonzi Kiakanda posing in his plastic water bag costume in Selembao district

 

David Baketimina @davidbaketimina - costume made by artificial hair

Hemock Kilomboshi @papenoirekilomboshi - costume made from recycled materials, Matonge district

                                        Congolese artist Nada Thsibwabwa @nadatshibwabwa  
 

Congolese artist Junior Mungongu posing in his plastic pipes costume in Selembao district, Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo). Trough this performance, Mungongu condemns the obvious political inaction in a city of 13 million inhabitants where single-use plastic is king.