In one instance he was captured by rebel forces in Eastern Congo during the First Congo War and detained until Congolese troops were able to free him. He made many visits to the Eastern Congo region to visit the Efé (and other friends he had made over several decades) and to further his goals of securing land and protection for the Efé. Proceeds from these art sales were used to benefit the Efé pygmies. After the war he returned to the Congo and over time he developed an intimate knowledge of the local cultures, learning a variety of their languages. During the Second World War he fought as a teenager with the Belgian Resistance. The shop was managed with his wife Liane Hallet, and two of his stepchildren, Janou Lightning and Kristina Hill. Jean-Pierre Hallet (1927-2004) was a Belgian ethnologist who was born and grew up in Africa. By his own count, Hallet survived nineteen near-death experiences during his epic life, including one time he was captured by AK-47. Hallet and his family owned one of the largest authentic Central African art shops in the United States at the Third Street Promenade in Santa Monica, California, near Los Angeles, until the late 1990s. Jean-Pierre donated much of his Central African art collection to the UCLA African Art exhibit of the Museum of Cultural History (later renamed the Fowler Museum), which was part of the impetus for its creation.ĭr. Both the art works of André Hallet and many pieces from Jean-Pierre Hallet's African art collections have been sold at international art auctions. Jean-Pierre's father was André Hallet, the famous African painter. He founded the Pygmy Fund for the benefit of the Efé. Summary: Hallet traveled through central Africa from 1948 through 1960 and his extensive. He wrote the 1964 autobiographical book, Congo Kitabu, the 1973 ethnologic book Pygmy Kitabu (a more detailed description of life with the Efé and neighboring pygmies), and the 1968 book Animal Kitabu, which details his extraordinary collection of animals in the Congo and in Kenya.
Jean-Pierre Hallet (1927 – 1 January 2004) was a Belgian (born in Africa) ethnologist, naturalist, and humanitarian best known for his extensive work with the Efé (Bambuti) pygmies of the Ituri Rainforest.