"Charles Bóngo"

Mixed Media on Paper — Spray Paint, Oil Crayon, Acrylic Marker “Charles Bòngo” is a collaboration between "R.E.M. Soul" and "No Soul Here". It explores the tension between innocence and intrusion, vulnerability and performance. The central figure—part creature, part spirit—emerges from a dark void, outlined in ghost-white spray and punctuated by bright reds and soft pinks. Its crossed-out eyes and dripping features hint at emotional overstimulation, heartbreak, and the silent witnessing of one’s own unraveling. The figure’s body, abstracted and suspended, feels both playful and unsettling. Childlike loops and spirals surround it, echoing doodles from a diary or confessions scratched into a wall. Fragments of handwritten text—“Late do you know… Oh I know… A lot says the man in the mirror”—float across the canvas like half-remembered thoughts, adding an intimate, almost voyeuristic layer to the work. Using raw, graffiti-like strokes and layered mixed media, the artist captures a moment of emotional exposure: a being caught between self-protection and self-revelation. The result is a compelling portrait of inner chaos, longing, and the lingering ache of being seen too late.