Romuald Hazoumè

(Benin, born 1962)

Abstract forms

Footnotes

Provenance
Acquired by the present owner directly from the artist at his exhibition Masques Bidons in Niger, 1989.

Exhibited
Niamey, the French-Nigerian Cultural Centre, Masques Bidons, 1989.
Cotonou, the Centre Culturel Français, 1989.


This unusual work on silk was acquired by the present owner when he attended Romuald Hazoumé's first exhibition as a professional artist at the French-Nigerian Cultural Centre in 1989. Hazoumé took the decision to pursue a career in the arts in the mid-80s. This was a period of experimentation, as he transitioned from one medium to the next in an effort to find his 'voice'. He silk series spanned from the late 80s to early 90s. Two similar artworks, titled La Femme and Femmes, are illustrated in the Zinsou Foundation exhibition catalogue Romuald Hazoumé (2005), p.10 & 14.

It was at this time that Hazoumé first began to produce the 'masques bidons' for which he has become known. These masks were constructed from discarded plastic containers and petrol canisters. In using these materials, the artist both demonstrates the trans-formative powers of recycling and draws our attention to social ills.

In Benin, discarded jerry cans are a common site. For many of the country's citizens, smuggling petrol from Nigeria and selling it illegally on the black market is the only way to earn a living. No serious measures have been taken to rectify the desperate situation. Since Hazoumé first highlighted the issue in the late 1980s, the country has become increasingly dependent on the black market for petrol. In 2016, the African Development Bank estimated that nearly 80% of all fuel consumed in Benin is contraband.

Over the last decade, Hazoumé has become a respected name on the international art circuit, with pieces in the British Museum in London, the Guggenheim in Bilbao, and the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris. However, he continues to live and work in Benin, grappling with the country's social and economic issues:

"I answer questions that preoccupy my people. I am compelled to respond in my way."

Bibliography
Niamh Coghlan, 'Romuald Hazoumé', Aesthetica, accessed 10 January 2018.
Fondation Zinsou, Romuald Hazoumé, (Cotonou, 2005), pp.10 & 14.