Emanuel Tegene: Neo-Expressionism to Depict Society On Canvas

Bwo Art is pleased to announce the representation of Addis-Ababa based artist Emanuel Tegene (b. 1983). The Ethiopian-born neo-expressionist artist captures multi-layered socio-political stories in his canvas. By mixing concrete society-based observations with abstract representations of characters and bodies, Tegene allows people to interpret these stories beyond the frame of the canvas. Using oil, acrylic, ink, charcoal, and pastels, his work combines figurative or abstract shapes and inscriptions with intense colors, and symbols which result in a complex yet balanced work. 

The artist who participated in the Marrakech and Dakar biennials in 2016 and 2018 respectively,  is best known for his minimalist and unconventional style focusing on local and global socio-political interactions. Tegene captures a myriad of thoughts, scenes, ideas, and conversations in a thought-provoking “diary of reflections and multi-layered stories.” His lighthearted work, reminiscent of his early days as an illustrator, invites his audience to interpret issues at hand beyond the frame. His surroundings, his life, and what he sees and hears, are the starting point of his creative process: from the concept to the medium.

“I process thoughts and ideas in my mind on how to best portray my reality in my art. Sometimes, these ideas are mature enough for me to transfer them directly into my canvas. And sometimes, these ideas are unripe, and it takes a longer time to get them and feel when they are ready. The relationship between my ripe ideas, thoughts and medium is an iterative process. I don’t choose the medium, it is the ideas that influence the medium.”

Neo-expressionism naturally appeared to Emanuel as the best way to express his reality, as a human and also as an artist. 

“For as long as I can remember, I have always been attracted to abstract and conceptual art. When I first started drawing and painting, I wasn’t necessarily familiar with neo-expressionism or what it entailed. I would say that my natural style and my inclination led me to discover later that my artwork is categorized as such.”

Tegene creates an ambiguous, almost mysterious understanding of things by mixing abstract and tangible elements on his canvas. His life as an artist helps to create his works. “Balancing Problems II” is inspired by what he experiences as an artist with clients and curators. He reflects on all the experiences vis-à-vis another on the art market, stating that: “The individual needs and motivation – be it ego, wanting a discount, or selfishness – will always serve as a check-and-balance to each other, balancing relationships.”

For sales and general inquiries, please contact:
brice@bwoart.com

Beya Gille Gacha at the Quai Branly Museum in Paris

We are delighted to announce that our artist Beya Gille Gacha has been invited to participate in the institutional exhibition “On the Road to Chiefdoms of Cameroon: The Visible and Invisible” which will open at the emblematic French museum of arts and culture Musée du quai Branly – Jacques Chirac in Paris on April 5, and which will run until July 17, 2022.

The exhibition is presented to us as an invitation to discover or rediscover the rich culture of the communities and the preservation of a “unique, historical and living heritage” from the high plateaus of Grassfields in the West region of Cameroon. With tradition, power and culture at the heart of this exhibition dedicated to Cameroon’s chiefdoms, 300 works, including 260 treasures kept by several chiefs and family lineages, will be front and center of the show. 

Beya Gille Gacha, Venus Nigra, 2017. Courtesy of the artist and Bwo Art.

Among the works of the few Contemporary artists invited to participate, there will be a sculpture of Beya Gille Gacha whose beading practice draws on her heritage as she revives a traditional technique from the Bamiléke people in Cameroon. 

To learn more about Beya Gille Gacha’s work, click here.

For sales and general inquiries, please contact:
brice@bwoart.com

Meet Bwo Art at 1-54 Paris! (April 7-10, 2022)

We will be attending  the upcoming edition of 1-54 Contemporary African art fair set to take place in Paris from 7-10 April 2022. Featuring 60 artists represented by 23 international exhibitors from all over the African continent, the fair will be hosted by Christie’s on Avenue Matignon. The decision of 1-54 and Christie’s to host a second pop up edition in Paris came after the cancellation of the 2022 Marrakech edition. However, we remain particularly delighted to attend 1-54 in Paris this year as the world reopens up and physical art fairs return.

If you wish for us to be your eyes at the fair, please do get in touch with us.

Highlight of Sesse Elangwe Ngeseli’s Debut Solo Exhibition

Last month, our Artist, Sesse Elangwe Ngeseli had his debut solo exhibition, “Dawn,” with Mitochondria Gallery in Houston, Texas, USA. 

In his interview with Art Advisor, Moriah Alise, and Art Writer, Kendra Walker, Sesse talks about “Dawn.” His debut solo exhibition explored aspects of enlightenment within the Black experience across the globe. In the body of work, Sesse draws from his personal experience as an immigrant living in the United States, and his prior life in Cameroon. The self-taught artist with a BSc. in Political Science, presented a new body of work to continue the conversation on striving for a better tomorrow. His signature use of the large eye is a constant reminder to challenge the status quo by creating and sharing ideas for the betterment of society.