
Helene Love-Allotey
Head of Department
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Head of Department
Provenance
Acquired from Gallery Anne de Villepoix, Paris, 2010;
A private collection.
Barthélémy Toguo is a multi-disciplinary artist splits his time between Paris and Bandjoun in Cameroon where he was born in 1967 and raised. Highly educated, Toguo began his studies at the Abidjan School of Fine Arts in Cote d'Ivoire, the Graduate School of Art in Grenoble in France, and the Dusseldorf Kunstakademie in Germany. Primarily he was trained as a sculptor but has progressed his work into further disciplines such as film, performance, and watercolour.
Toguo's works are informed by his political motivations and are often intentionally provocative. Indeed, growing up in Cameroon, it is no wonder that Toguo is wary of unregulated global flow. Rich in natural resources, Cameroon's economy is heavily reliant on exports of coffee and cacao. The developed West have historically been quick to appropriate and take advantage of these goods, providing little compensation. Toguo's art challenges this seemingly accepted narrative, forcing the viewer to examine the nature of global trade and its impact on both the nation and the individual.