Mayi Arts: In Conversation with Mayi Arts’ Ngalula Mafwata
By Tewasart Africa
PARIS – Ngalula Mafwata, Congolese art enthusiast and founder of Mayi Arts, has had an unexpected journey into the art world. Her story began in fashion; during high school, she attended fashion weeks and shows, blogging about her experiences from a media perspective.
“Fashion came as a surprise to me,” she explains, “because I initially aspired to be an architect or a video game designer. I loved to draw and explore visual forms of expression.”
At university, she studied languages and international relations while freelancing in journalism for media outlets. After graduating and while working as a digital analyst and then in product strategy in luxury fashion, her interest in art grew, leading her to explore London and Paris’s contemporary art scene.
“I enjoy art, and I’m deeply connected to it, but I know that’s not everyone’s reality,” she narrates, explaining the inspiration behind Mayi Arts. “Most people view art superficially—its beauty, ugliness, or authenticity—without understanding the artist’s story, identity, or experiences.”
Ngalula believes curiosity is a key emotion, and Mayi Arts is an extension of her passion for art and her curiosity about the art scenes in Paris, London, and across the African continent.
“I’m convinced there are more people interested in emerging contemporary artists and the art scene in general, but they don’t know how or where to start, or simply lack access to this information.”
A Platform for Connections
She feels that many talented, unknown emerging contemporary artists lack opportunities to share their artistic journeys and backgrounds. Through Mayi Arts, her goal is to build bridges between artists and the professionals who drive the art world—galleries, independent curators, collectors, and art institutions. It also serves as a platform for artists to authentically tell their stories and share their perspectives, bringing together diverse individuals with common interests.
An avid supporter of the arts and artists, Ngalula actively attends art fairs and exhibition openings. Her aim is to connect with showcasing artists and gallerists, review their work, and offer insights into the contemporary African art market.
“I find art fairs overstimulating, but it depends on why I’m attending. As an art lover, she focuses on the art and is always curious about the artists. Discovering new art, meeting new people, beginning new relationships, and creating good memories. She likes the energy at 1-54 in London, the diversity and representation are beyond, and emerging.
When I’m creating content for Mayi Arts, I come with a different mindset, and my focus is to get as much information as I can about the artists and the ecosystem. Exhibitor feedback can be both positive and negative. Some prioritize engaging only with serious buyers, which can make them seem somewhat distant toward general visitors; it is a business. Galleries come to the art fairs for different reasons, and it’s a heavy investment, so I don’t take it personally. But I’m never intimidated to ask questions about the artists, I’m open-minded and observant. I appreciate the exhibitors who are warm and welcoming, willing to connect and share their experience, and provide more information about the artist. To be honest, art openings and fairs are sensitive and stimulating environments, and most artists are required to ‘perform,’ so it’s hard to get a real story out of them,” she explains.
In her opinion, many artists are naturally withdrawn; not depending on glamour, publicly. “It’s not always easy for them to share their deep inner world, stories, and vulnerabilities—especially when profound experiences, sometimes negative ones, originate from childhood memories and serve as inspiration. The outside world often imagines a glamorous artist’s life, but from the artist’s perspective, this is rarely the case.” The art itself testifies to the artists’ vulnerability, but vocalizing it is the next level. Through her conversations, she’s found that artists are more open to talking and sharing.
Resonance
Ngalula’s vision for Mayi Arts is strong, resonance brings her to the right people, and she’s investing heavily in building meaningful relationships, which she considers the most important aspect of her platform. In her view, it’s all about being in the right room, engaging in the right conversations to make things happen, and meeting the right people willing to support and grow with you.
Paris and Nairobi: A Comparative View
Beyond discussing her platform’s work, our conversation shifted to comparing the contemporary art scenes in Nairobi and Paris. In Ngalula’s view, art is highly accessible in Paris, where a strong appreciation for arts and culture exists, largely attributed to a robust foundation in art education. She emphasizes the importance of art education as foundational knowledge, including art movements and history.
However, she believes becoming a collector in Paris remains a privilege, citing a lack of information or clear steps for aspiring collectors. Beyond the regular collectors who have cultivated relationships with galleries, artists, and curators, galleries face a challenge in building relationships with existing art lovers who are potential collectors. These individuals might be interested in collecting works by less established, talented artists that are more accessible from a pricing perspective.
From an outside perspective, contemporary art is often perceived through its eccentricities, such as skyrocketing prices and trendy concepts like Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian (the banana piece).
In Paris, collectors typically fall into two categories: those who collect for investment and / or tradition and those who collect to support artists because they can afford to. This makes the art market inherently volatile; it’s impossible to predict outcomes when purchases are driven by either pure investment or emotion.
The Survival Mode Reality
Ngalula sees a “survival mode” as an inherent part of the creative journey, a reality for most artists globally. Without initial capital, artists often find themselves in this mode, waiting to secure funding or connect with the right people who believe in their vision and are willing to invest both funds and energy. Investment isn’t always material; it includes the time and effort put into building relationships, organization, logistics, and resources. Ultimately, an artist’s drive is what matters most.
When artists are in the formative stage, authenticity and consistency are key; they have to put more work out there for people to start to notice them.
The Nairobi and Paris art markets share many similarities, differing primarily in their institutional support, patronage, and systemic maturity. For example, both favor an exclusive gallery representation model where they invest upfront in an artist before sales occur.
This arrangement, however, creates high dependency and expectations. Artists often want to be a gallery’s main focus, but with most galleries representing five or more artists, equal attention is nearly impossible. This isn’t ideal for beginner artists still establishing their market or developing their skills, as it limits their exposure to a single source. Beyond one or two solo shows and a few annual art fair appearances, artists often spend much of their time simply creating and waiting. Most artists who choose exclusivity practice art full-time, making this their sole income.
Ngalula points out that galleries must also secure their interests, as they involve significant investment, and it is a risky business by definition, so most galleries are also in “survival mode”. It’s common for galleries to close within two years. The most sustainable approach is for galleries to develop authentic relationships with their artists. The relationship between artists and curators should be anchored in trust, mutual understanding, and finding common ground.
