Announcement – Traits to Remember: the aesthetics and politics of Black portraits – an exhibition curated by Brice Arsène Yonkeu at 193 Gallery, Venice. (June 25 – August 21, 2022)
Bwo art is particularly pleased to share that Bara Sketchbook’s and Sesse Elangwe Ngeseli’s trio show alongside artist Idris Habib titled “Traits To Remember: the aesthetics and politics of Black portraits” opened on June 25 in Venice, Italy. Curated by Bwo Art’s co-founder Brice Arsène Yonkeu, the exhibition is on view at 193 Gallery in Venice until 21st August.
The exhibition opens a room for these three artists from West Africa to dialogue through portraiture, creating contemporary iconographies of Black communities. After centuries of underrepresentation and invisibilization of Black people in art history, the works of these artists like a few others of their generation can be interpreted as a response and contribution to expanding the canon.
Their portraits accentuate and celebrate features associated with Black bodies whilst sometimes infusing cultural and sociopolitical elements which broaden the reading of their works beyond the “cool” or pure aesthetics to integrate subjectivity. Each portrait captures a gaze, an essence, a state, a spirit, an emotion, or the feelings of individuals whose simple existence deserves to be immortalised so that tomorrow there shall be no gaps about today. Thus, the act of painting Black figures and celebrating Blackness through portraiture today can also be perceived as political.
In the spirit of his portraiture practice, Sesse Elangwe Ngeseli makes use of his signature large eye of enlightenment to critically document the conditions and experiences Black communities are subjected to. From his perspective, that of two realms – the United States and Cameroon – the large eye stands out and invites viewers to question their environment, engage in positive conversations and tap into their innate wisdom.
Image: Sesse Elangwe Negseli, Back Home (2022), acrylic on canvas. 162 x 162 cm. Courtesy of Bwo Art and Sesse Elangwe Negseli
Creating an unusual sensory link between colors and emotions, synesthetic artist Bara Sketchbook uses dark-blue-skinned characters and colorful unified backgrounds to tell the stories of the people he cares about. The uniqueness of his work resides in his Nigerian and Sierra Leonean heritage that he attempts to incorporate into his portraits by exploring the inner and outer feelings of his subjects. Through their abstract clothing and their poses, he tries to capture the intricacies of his people.
Image: Bara Sketchbook, Funto the pacifist (2022), acrylic on canvas. 140 x 84 cm. Courtesy of Bwo Art and Bara Sketchbook.
Working between Accra and New York, Idris Habib’s experimentation with materials illuminates his beautiful portraits. His bold, vibrant and textured work powerfully depict traits of people who share his heritage, experiences and/or inspire him. Through his creative technique, the artist brings a succession of free portraits on paper and canvas that look playful and expressive with a strong emphasis on the gaze.
Image: Idris Habib, Adjarat (2021), acrylic and pencil on canvas. 150x120cm. Courtesy of 193 Gallery and Idris Habib.
Press
In May and June of this year, two of our artists, Sesse Elangwe Ngeseli and Beya Gille Gacha received considerable media attention and spotlight for their participations in shows spanning from Dakar to Paris and Venice. Gille Gacha who exhibited an installation at the Dakar Biennale this year is also featured in “Dicokam” at 193 Gallery in Paris, alongside Elangwe who was given a solo chapter and is also presenting new works in Venice. Below are selected press clips of articles on which the rising artists were featured.
France 24 – Sesse Elangwe : portrait de la jeunesse camerounaise
RFI Le Débat Africain (hosted by Alain Foka) – Biennale de Dakar: L’art contemporain africain a-t-il aussi la côte sur le continent? (with Beya Gille Gacha as guest)
Vice France – La jeune garde de l’art contemporain Camerounais s’expose à la 193 GALLERY
Journal des Arts – La scène camerounaise en galerie
RFI – Culture africaine: les rendez-vous en juin 2022
For press or general inquiries, please contact: brice@bwoart.com
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