{"id":15257,"date":"2024-10-04T16:01:53","date_gmt":"2024-10-04T14:01:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.artificialis.eu\/?page_id=15257"},"modified":"2024-10-04T16:01:53","modified_gmt":"2024-10-04T14:01:53","slug":"angele-etoundi-essamba","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.artificialis.eu\/?page_id=15257","title":{"rendered":"Ang\u00e8le Etoundi Essamba"},"content":{"rendered":"

Born in 1962 in Douala, Cameroon, Ang\u00e8le Etoundi Essamba moved at the age of 10 to Paris. Early, she was interested in photography and made her high school graduation in France. Then she transferred to Amsterdam and studied there at the Nederlandse Fotovakschool<\/a><\/span> (Dutch School for Professional Photography), which she left with a diploma. Additionally, she holds a bachelor\u2019s degree in art history. Subsequently, she returned to Cameroon for a while.<\/p>\n

In her work, the representation of black women is Ang\u00e8le\u2019s primary objective. By her reflection on the identity of black women, she breaks stereotypes and empowers her models to \u201cshow pride, strength and awareness and to take charge of their own narrative\u201d (1). In the beginning of her career, she focussed on analogue black and white photography, which she developed in her own darkroom. Since 2006, she replaced this technique by digital photography. However, several of her works are still dominated by these \u201cnon-colours\u201d, but accentuated by accessories in bright colours, like in her series \u201cDroit de Regard<\/a><\/span>\u201d from 2021, where the depicted women are wearing colourful headscarves. Besides single portraits, there are double portraits and group photographs (Terre<\/a><\/span>, Corps \u00e0 Corps<\/a><\/span>) and pictures of women in their environment (Women of the Water<\/a><\/span>, Healing<\/a><\/span>, Un autre Monde<\/a><\/span>). Herewith, the artist transmits impressions of contemporary African women and culture. By the time, colours entered increasingly in the oeuvre.<\/p>\n

To underline the importance of her models, Ang\u00e8le also introduces occidental iconography. Hereby, she sometimes refers to Christian depictions of the Virgin Mary (Les Voix du Silence<\/a><\/span>, A-Fil-Iations<\/a><\/span>), paintings from the Dutch seventeenth Century (Girl with an Amber Earring<\/a><\/span>, Renaissance<\/a><\/span>) or even to Greek mythology like in our Artwork of the Month \/ October 2024<\/a><\/span>, which features A-Fil-Iation 28.<\/p>\n

Since 1985, Ang\u00e8le presents her works in numerous solo exhibitions and participates in many group shows, biennales and fairs all around the world. Besides Europe and Africa, her photographs travelled to United States, Latin America, Arab Emirates and Asia. Additionally, her works were inter alia on view at the Bienal de La Habana<\/a><\/span>, the Johannesburg Biennale<\/a><\/span> and twice at the Venice Biennale<\/a><\/span> (1994 and 2022) In her second Venice participation, her series A-Fil-Iations was part of the Pavilion of the Republic of Cameroon. Until 6th October 2024, the artist has her first solo exhibition in Rome \u201cDonne Determinate<\/a><\/span>\u201d (Determinated Woman) in the Museo di Roma in Trastevere<\/a><\/span>. From 23rd October to 30th November 2024, her oeuvre will be exhibited in the Mus\u00e9e Confluences, Dar El Bachar<\/a><\/span> in Marrakech under the title \u201cRegard de Femmes\u201d (View of Women) and is until 23th February 2025 part of the group show \u201cAfrica Rising: 21st-Century African Photography\u201d in the Fitchburg Art Museum<\/a><\/span> (United States).<\/p>\n

Ang\u00e8le\u2019s photographs entered in many private and public collections like Museum of Modern Art<\/a><\/span> (MoMA), New York, the World Bank Art Program<\/a><\/span>, Washington DC and The National Museum of Women in the Arts<\/a><\/span>, Washington DC. Moreover, her works are frequently reviewed in international publications. Besides photography, Ang\u00e8le makes videos, writes poems and creates sculptures. Moreover, she published several photobooks, for example \u201cEverything is Connected<\/a><\/span>\u201d will be released soon.<\/p>\n

Ang\u00e8le lives and works in Amsterdam.<\/p>\n

www.essamba-art.com<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

(1) Artist statement 28 September 2024, view also https:\/\/www.essamba-art.com\/about\/<\/a><\/span> 20 September 2024<\/p>\n

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Artwork of the Month \/ October 2024<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n