The work of Chéri Samba imparts a satirical, even grotesque edge to issues like AIDS and political corruption. The Zairean artist’s paintings, centered here predominantly around the theme of “lovers,” issue from what might be dubbed an Afro-pessimistic perspective. One comes away from curator Philippe Garcia de la Rosa’s lush survey of thirty-eight works struck especially by Samba’s skill at integrating text and painting, charging his images with a delightful and lively sense of orality. May 13-Aug. 18
