Place and date of birth unknown; Died, place unknown, 1928

Voania was a ceramist and chief of Muba, a small town in the western part of what was then the colonized Belgian Congo (1908–1960). He created an extensive oeuvre of figures placed atop spherical vessels; his characteristic signature identifies the works.

What little we know about the artist’s biography largely comes from oral histories collected from his descendants in the early 1970s by art historian Zdenka Volavka. These interviews confirm that Voania turned to ceramics as an adult and was guarded and independent in his artistic practice. He produced work exclusively for European and American buyers.

Situated near the Atlantic coast, the region surrounding Muba has a long history of trade and exchange with Europe. By combining local Congolese fashions—such as wrapper skirts, backless seats, and women’s regalia—with European clothing styles, including military helmets and tailored jackets, Voania demonstrated his deft ability to fabricate his ceramics to his buyers’ tastes.

When Voania died in 1928 with neither apprentices nor followers, Muba’s brief but fruitful period of ceramic production came to a close.