Tshibumba Kanda Matulu (1947-1982?) portrays the turbulent history of his country, the Congo, in this impressive series of 102 paintings. Important characters and events feature in this passing parade, such as the political leaders Lumumba and Mobutu, and the Belgian monarchs Leopold II and Baudouin. Tshibumba's paintings, produced between 1973 and 1974, portray historic events and figures, but always contain lessons for the present. Tshibumba also wrote explanatory texts on his paintings. The series of paintings was acquired in 2000 by the KIT Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam, from Johannes Fabian, an anthropologist, who befriended the artist in the Congo from 1971 to 1974.The series presents a lively and accessible view of colonial and postcolonial African history by someone on the inside and from the working class. It translates the African tradition of storytelling into a contemporary style. Furthermore, it tells a story of African-European cultural exchange, as the series was made by an African who knew that he would have a European audience. The insider explains what happened in his country to an outsider. As Tshibumba's perspective is an integral part of this story, the book reflects on questions of presentation and self-presentation.Johannes Fabian made extensive notes of his conversations with Tshibumba, on which he draws in his Preface to this book.