1 9 ) ▁was ▁an ▁authority ▁on ▁Central ▁African ▁art ▁with ▁contributions ▁to ▁context ual ▁African ▁art ▁studies , ▁or al ▁literature ▁( main ly ▁ep ic ▁narr atives ), ▁and ▁the ▁soci opol it ical ▁structure ▁of ▁numerous ▁groups ▁in ▁the ▁D RC . ▁ ▁Biography ▁B ie bu y ck ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 5 ▁in ▁De in ze , ▁Belg ium . ▁He ▁studied ▁classical ▁phil ology , ▁law , ▁cultural ▁anth rop ology , ▁and ▁African ▁art ▁at ▁the ▁State ▁University ▁of ▁Gh ent , ▁where ▁he ▁obtained ▁his ▁doctor ate ▁in ▁Philosoph y ▁and ▁Let ters ▁( 1 9 5 4 ). ▁He ▁conducted ▁post - grad uate ▁study ▁in ▁social ▁anth rop ology ▁and ▁B ant u ▁L ingu istics ▁at ▁University ▁College ▁London , ▁L SE , ▁SO AS . ▁ ▁Under ▁the ▁aus p ices ▁of ▁the ▁Institut ▁pour ▁la ▁Re cher che ▁Scient ifique ▁en ▁A frique ▁central ▁( IR S AC ), ▁he ▁was ▁involved ▁in ▁field ▁research ▁from ▁ 1 9 4 9 – 1 9 5 7 ▁among ▁eth nic ▁groups ▁in ▁what ▁is ▁now ▁the ▁Democratic ▁Republic ▁of ▁the ▁Congo . ▁From ▁ 1 9 5 7 - 1 9 6 1 ▁he ▁taught ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁L ovan ium ▁and ▁as ▁a ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁land ▁ten ure ▁commission ▁for ▁the ▁Belg ian ▁Congo , ▁he ▁conducted ▁brief ▁field ▁research ▁among ▁over ▁ 4 0 ▁different ▁populations ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁questions ▁per tain ing ▁to