8th October - 21st November
Found objects, 50 x 60 x 18 cm.
Found objects, 38 x 44 x 18 cm.
Romuald Hazoumè revisits his iconic masques bidons (Fr. bidon* – flask, container, bottle)—presenting a striking series of masks made from repurposed plastic containers that are animated by an eclectic array of found materials. Wittily imagined as portraits of figures inhabiting particular places in the contemporary geo-political landscape, these new sculptures come freighted with Hazoumè’s biting commentaries on current issues of global concern. Displaying his wicked eye for detail, each mask dances before our eyes enlivened by his irreverent sense of humour. Hazoumè’s ironic avatars offer timely reflections on the precarious nature of the world we all inhabit.
Creating ‘masks’ from plastic containers, the majority of which are blue in colour, allows Hazoumè to play with associations, such as Picasso and ‘the Blues’. Somehow, these blue masks seem to penetrate deeper still, adopting darker, more ominous tones, reflecting anxieties fed by the many interconnected crises of the present day.
Hazoumè’s work is well known for addressing such complex matters as slavery (historical and modern), migration and the brutal realities developing in postcolonial Africa. Once again, these powerful works, taken collectively, underline Hazoumè’s willing acceptance of the artist’s responsibility to confront patent abuses of authority while speaking truth to power.
