Séraphine Mbeya Nawej Matemb was born in Lubumbashi, en République démocratique du Congo, le 1er mars 1960. In 1975, she entered the Academy of Fine Arts in Lubumbashi, where she studied under artists including Micha, Kabemba, Musasa, and Mwenze Kibwanga.

In September 1980, she continued her studies at the Academy of Fine Arts in Kinshasa, under Ndamvu, Mavinga, and Albert Lemort, and further developed her practice of sand painting with Lema-Kusa and Mukalenge.

In July 1983, she became the first woman in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to earn a degree in painting, a major milestone in Congolese visual arts.

After working in the wax-print textile industry in Kinshasa, she returned to Lubumbashi in 1991. In 1998, she was appointed Director of the Academy of Fine Arts in Lubumbashi. She revitalized the institution by developing workshops, training programs, and exchanges between artists, teachers, and students, while opening the Academy to artists from the DRC, Europe, and elsewhere.

In 2000, she became a founding member of ASBL Dialogue, contributing to the development of artistic training programs for young artists and cultural professionals.

As a painter, she exhibited in the DRC and Europe. Women occupy a central place in her work. An artist, educator, and mother of two daughters, she devoted much of her life to artistic creation and passing on knowledge.

Séraphine Mbeya Nawej Matemb died in August 2020. She left a lasting legacy in Lubumbashi’s artistic community, particularly among the young artists she taught, encouraged, and supported.