Dominique Zinkpe

As the artist says “An African soul? “I’m not sure there is an African soul. I am telling stories of humanity “.

Animist culture and voodoo ceremonies, however, nourish his inspiration. The aim feature of his esoteric paintings is in the rituals: the master of ceremonies responsible for the offerings, the double beings, half-animals half-human, the Grinning Little Malin who ragots to sow chaos … As many characters as a look Western would find “folkloric”.

“Folklore, it also exists, I will not silence it to satisfy codes of contemporary art,” he replies. And to add: “When you say that painting and sculpture are old-fashioned, it interests me even more. It’s a little complicated to want to paint and sculpt today. But we will resist. To resist, the word suits him. In the shock-installation “Despite everything! “In 2002, he showed a sick Africa, under a drip: criticism of poorly targeted international aid, satire of a nonchalant continent that does not take its destiny into its own hands.