Barthélémy Toguo, is a Cameroonian painter, visual and performing artist born in 1967. He currently splits his time living and working in both Paris, France and Bandjoun, Cameroon. He works in a variety of media aside from visual and performing arts including photographs, prints, sculptures, videos, and installations.

« For showing my works, I am used to work directly on the site of the exhibition. Visitors enter “Virgin Forest” where they can discover my work.  The gallery is transformed into an immense boat, embracing the visitors into my universe. I like to create atmospheres, emotions, strong sensations, as well as tiny thoughts about our contemporary society.

I covered the ground with unfolded cardboard boxes used for global products shipment. They try to question the relations between North and South, oscillating between the importation of commodities and the exportation of people. My works and myself are assuming the same condition as these products submitted to exile. »
Barthélémy Toguo

On the large wooden structure having the shape of a boat, are proliferating different visual works: a large series of watercolors titled Baptism are telling the story of Bathélémy Toguo’s family being anxious of not seeing him surrounded by women and asking to consult a healer. Baptism engage us into hallucinations in which are unfolded the fantasies of the artist. The watercolors are also dialoguing with series of photographs, collages, drawings, tracing different paths between performances (Transits), portraits (Ciudad de Oviedo), thoughts about North/South dualities, exile.

Artist’s book

Labyrinth Process

Barthélémy Toguo, 2000

La Criée centre for contemporary art, Rennes; Michel Baverey publisher, Paris. 17,5 x 12 cm, 80 pages, English – French.

71 drawings and color collages.