photo-romuald-hazoume
Event Date: 22/sept/2012, 3pm to 4pm. At October gallery London24 Old Gloucester Street
Bloomsbury
LONDON WC1N 3AL
UNITED KINGDOM
Born in the coastal town of Porto Novo, the capital of the Republic of Benin, in 1971. Gerard is one of the new generation of sophisticated young francophone artists out of Africa deserving wider recognition for their art on the global stage.
Benin has long been blessed with a wealth of outstanding contemporary artists, including; Cyprien Tokoudagba and Georges Adeagbo coming early to the attention of western collectors in the late 80’s and early 90’s. Following them are more celebrated artists like, Romuald Hazoumè, Dominique Kouas, the Dakpogan brothers et al.
In the recent time, more generation of “street artists” have been developing around Porto Novo and Cotonou. This tightly knit group, marshalled by the eccentric creativity of Dominique Zinkpé, arranged spontaneous exhibitions of their work outside on the city streets. Calling this succession of guerrilla exhibitions – “Boulev’art” (Art on the Boulevard).
Gerard Quenum stood out amongst these younger tyros, as the original creator of a distinct sculptural style, and, with growing maturity, his work is now to be found in galleries on the grand Boulevards of Paris as well as the finer streets of London.
His works can be found in major public collections including the British Museum, National Museums of Scotland and the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University, California.
Quenum’s work is also exhibited at the National Football Museum in Manchester as part of the exhibition entitled Moving Into Space until the 31st of December and in the Ice and Sand Exhibition at Coombe Farm Studios, Torbay until the 31st of October 2012.
C. Hub Magazine 