Some of the most fascinating works by an artist I encountered last month at Art Basel were by Congolese master, Aime Mpane.  Below are comments from the Phillips Collection blog in D.C. which recently acquired a piece:

It was very special to meet the artist and discuss his ideas and process at length. He showed us photos of himself working inKinshasa in an open air studio surrounded by the kids whose spirit and energy he captures in his works. His process is especially fascinating. . . he uses a small pick or awl to gouge into the different colored layers of an ordinary piece of plywood. He captures with remarkable elegance the movement and character of each face through (or despite?) the primitive edges of the splintered wood. He is a skilled and highly trained artist who responds to the humble circumstances and traditional methods of the Congo. His work reflects a personal and historical voyage between continents and cultures. 

Artist representation: Nomad Gallery