Boris Nzebo
Artist: Boris Nzebo
Rarity: Unique
Size: 80 x 58cm
Method: Acrylic on repurposed London bus panel
Material: Aluminium
"My journey commenced within the hairdressing salons of the working-class sectors of Douala. During that period, I was employed as a sign painter for hairdressers. It was from this point that an almost instinctual urge arose, compelling me to explore new realms that would progressively guide me towards the realm of plastic arts.
The hairdresser's salon transcends being merely a location; it serves as a framework for social interaction, a realm for contemplating the successive generations that pass through, experiencing haircuts, razor trims, styling, and even relaxer treatments when necessary. It stands as an extension of our daily boundaries and, in an ironic twist, serves as a haven for hope in a metropolis where the architecture seems to have reached its limits. To engage in self-transformation through haircare is to evade surrender; it embodies the aspiration to remain resolute in the face of life's challenges and injustices.
As an authentic autodidactic artist, I acquire knowledge through direct experience, venturing into the context of urban settings to explore traditional African hairstyles. These hairstyles manifest their capacity to endure the fluctuations of a dynamic world amidst the backdrop of everyday life, including the darkness of night. The hairstyles are employed as a conduit for probing the dynamics of interpersonal connections, self-discovery, and as a route in the pursuit of identity. Consequently, my artistic creations are suffused with these inquiries, which mirror my rapport with hairstyling both as an investigative subject and a medium of social portrayal.
My aspiration revolves around encapsulating my own queries in response to a society in flux, endeavoring to fathom why our surroundings are not accorded the same care as our heads. My work receives periodic exhibition in diverse locales, including Africa, the UK, France, Switzerland, Haiti, the USA, and Brazil. It is featured at international showcases such as the 1:54 contemporary art fairs in London and New York, Art Paris Art Fair, AKAA, and ART X Lagos. My artworks find a place within numerous collections, including the Fond National d'Art Contemporain de France (FNAC), Saatchi Gallery, Manchester Art Gallery, (MACAAL) Musée d'Art Contemporain Africain AL Maaden in Morocco.
I have been honored as a recipient of the Jacobs Foundation Prize in Switzerland."
Framing: We recommend displaying a bus panel floating in a frame.
Postage and Packaging:
UK: £75.00
Worldwide: £150.00
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