82-year-old Congolese artist Lucie Kamusekera stitches the DRC's violent history on tobacco sacks

Lucie Kamusekera, an 82-year-old artist from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, creates tapestries on tobacco sacks that chronicle decades of conflict. Born in 1944 in Lubero, North Kivu, she learned sewing from Italian nuns. Using handmade needles from scrap metal, she has produced over 70 works depicting events such as the 1961 assassination of Patrice Lumumba, Belgian colonial brutality, and the second Congo war (1998-2003) that killed an estimated 5 million civilians. Kamusekera fled to Goma over 20 years ago after her husband was tortured and killed by the CNDP rebel group, precursor to M23. During the M23 siege of Goma in early 2025, she hid at home. Her family now assists in her studio, and she hopes they will continue her legacy. Kamusekera avoids depicting certain events for fear of her life under M23 occupation. She believes her tapestries will preserve Congo's history for future generations, especially if digital networks fail.