b. 1988, Belgium; lives and works in Brussels, Belgium
Léonard Pongo is a photographer and visual artist. His long-term project “The Uncanny” has earned him several international awards and worldwide recognition. Pongo’s work has been published worldwide and featured in numerous exhibitions including the recent IncarNations at the Bozar Center for Fine Arts curated by Kendell Geers & Sindika Dokolo and the 3rd Beijing Photo Biennial at CAFA Art Museum. He was chosen as one of PDN’s 30 New and Emerging Photographers to Watch in 2016, is a recipient of the Visura Grant 2017, the Getty Reportage Grant 2018 and participated in the Joop Swart Masterclass 2018. “Primordial Earth“, his latest project, was shown at the Lubumbashi Biennale and at the Recontres de Bamako where it was awarded the “Prix de l’OIF”, and exhibited at the Brussels Centre for Fine Arts for his first institutional solo show in Belgium in 2021. His career is shared between his long-term projects in Congo DR, teaching and assignment work. Pongo is also a member of The Photographic Collective‘s advisory board. His work is part of institutional and private collections.
