Lucie Kamusekera, an 82-year-old artist in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo, creates embroidered tapestries on tobacco sacks that chronicle the country's violent history. Born in 1944 and taught sewing by Italian nuns, she began documenting contemporary conflicts after witnessing a military truck filled with corpses. Her more than 70 works depict events from the colonial Belgian Congo era to the 1961 assassination of Patrice Lumumba and the second Congo war, as well as personal tragedies including her husband's murder by rebels. Despite ongoing danger from rebel offensives, she continues to stitch from her home studio, training her children and great-granddaughter to carry on her work.
Kamusekera's art matters because it provides a rare, firsthand visual record of decades of conflict in the DRC, preserving stories that might otherwise be lost. Her tapestries offer a deeply personal perspective on national trauma, blending folk craft with political commentary. As the region faces renewed violence, her work stands as both a historical archive and a testament to resilience, highlighting the role of traditional textile art in documenting and processing collective suffering.