Joseph-Francis Sumégné

Biography

Influenced by the engravings and the tattoos that he observed on his grandmother's body and pillars of the royal houses to the west of Cameroon, he drew a lot during his childhood in the village. He then got introduced to different types of artistic practices (sculpture, colorization,

jewelry, basketry and weaving), the combination of which will characterize his future work. His works are marked by the influences of traditional sculpture in his home region. The fusion of found objects linked with copper wire and stitches that he invents, confront the challenge of the free volume. Concretizing his desires, pains, passions, indignations and dreams through his sculptures, Sumégné invents his philosophy and his technique of JALA'A to manifest and magnify self-transcendence. The topics addressed by Sumégné are multiple: masks and characters of traditional powers, men and women on the move (dancers, pushed-pushers), scenes out of his daily environment.

Invited to a do a residency in Douala by doual'art for three years, from 1993 to 1996, Sumégné made his La Nouvelle Liberté, a monumental sculpture of 12 meters in height. He has been invited to create outdoor works in Gabon, France and Germany. His latest urban creation was Le monument pour la Paix for the contemporary art biennale of Bangui, in the Central African Republic. He has exhibited in several countries, including Japan for the triennial of Osaka (1998) and the Netherlands for the triennial of Arnhem (2008). In 2004, he participated in the biennale of Dakar (Senegal), in a one-man show in the official selection, where he presented his series of sculptures Les neufs notables to an international audience for the first time. His latest big public presentation took place in 2014 at ArtFair London, in the United Kingdom. In 2015, he reunited with painting.

Expositions

Individual

2008

Mouvements de poussière-Espace doual'art, Douala

2005

Les neuf Notables-Espace doual'art, Douala

2003

Exposition sans titre de Joseph-Francis Sumégné-Espace doual'art, Douala

2002

Exposition de sculptures de Joseph-Francis Sumégné-Espace doual'art, Douala

Collective

2010

Cameroonian Touch.2, Espace doual'art, Douala

2008

Sonsbeek 2008: grandeur, Sonsbeek International Sculpture Exhibition, Arnhem

2007

Africa Remix -Contemporary art of a continent, Johannesburg Art Gallery (JAG), Johannesburg

2006

Africa Remix -Contemporary Art of a Continent, Mori Art Museum, Tokyo

Guerre contre la Pauvreté, Espace doual'art, Douala

2005

Africa Remix -l'art contemporain d'un continent, Centre Pompidou – Musée National d'Art Moderne, Paris

Africa Remix -Contemporary Art of a Continent, Hayward Gallery, Londres

2004

Africa Remix -Zeitgenössische Kunst eines Kontinents, Museum Kunst Palast, Düsseldorf

6e Biennale de l'Art africain contemporain, Dak'Art Biennale de Dakar, Dakar

1998

Dak'Art 1998, Biennale de l'Art africain contemporain, Dak'Art Biennale de Dakar, Dakar