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Rabat – L’Atelier 21 Gallery is set to participate in the renowned 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair, taking place from October 10 to 13, 2024, at Somerset House in London.
The gallery, located at stand W17, will feature a collection of works by artists from across the African continent, offering fresh perspectives on contemporary figuration in African art.
Representing Morocco, L’Atelier 21 will exhibit works by artists such as M´barek Bouhchichi, Margaux Derhy, Hako Hankson, and Derrick Ofosu Boateng.
According to a press release on the event, these artists, with their kaleidoscopic styles and techniques, capture the multi-faceted mosaic nature of African art, touching on timeless themes of identity, memory, and cultural heritage.
Moroccan artist Bouhchichi delves into the intricacies of race and identity through his depictions of Moroccan men and women of color. His work spans painting, sculpture, and drawing, often focusing on fragmented and splintered perceptions of the human form.
Bouhchichi’s exploration of the body’s opacity brings forth a deeper social and political layer to his work, flirting with themes like identity, corporeality, difference, and otherness. His art critically examines how portrayals of Black bodies across visual arts, literature, poetry, and music have been influenced by racial and sexual constructs, while also addressing the powerful impact of the gaze.
Margaux Derhy, also from Morocco, amalgamates painting and embroidery to create pieces rooted in her family history. Her project Mémoire Vive reimagines personal memories through old photographs.
In 2022, she founded the “Massa Stories” embroidery workshop, where she trained and collaborated with ten Amazigh women. Together, they embroider images drawn from Derhy’s family stories, fostering a sense of communal connection and shared memory while breaking the solitude of individual artistic practice.
Cameroonian artist Gaston Hako – artist pseudonym Hako Hanson – seamlessly combines traditional and contemporary art by incorporating objects and initiation rituals from his Bamileke heritage. His work blends these ancestral influences with modern art historical references, creating a vibrant fusion of past and present. In 2024, Hankson represented Cameroon at the national pavilion of the Venice Biennale.
Ghanaian artist Derrick Ofosu Boateng brings a vibrant and dynamic approach to African art through his photography.
His distinctive style, which he calls “Hueism,” merges bold color therapy with visual poetry, creating energetic images that celebrate African culture. Shot on an iPhone and digitally edited, Boateng’s work represents a new generation of African artists. Integral to his creative process are poetry and African proverbs, particularly those of the Ashanti tribe.
The 1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair has established itself as a major platform for presenting African creativity to a worldwide audience. L’Atelier 21’s involvement reflects its dedication to showcasing artists from both Morocco and Sub-Saharan Africa, sharing the multi-layered and reflective nature of African art on the global stage.
