Boris Nzebo

Jack Bell Gallery, 2014
Acquired from the above by present owner

London, Saatchi Gallery, Pangaea II: New Art from Africa and Latin America, 2015, illustrated in the catalogue, p. 122

Cameroonian artist Boris Nzebo's paintings are a visual multi-layering of city landscapes with the silhouettes of female hairstyles. The foreground of this work is formed of a yellow-green toned outline of a woman’s cornrowed head. The red-toned background depicts civilians roaming the neighbourhood, where chickens and pots are dispersed on a porch. Here, Nzebo juxtaposes modern and traditional themes through his combination of elaborate hairstyles, urban scenes, and rural elements.

A bustling major city in Cameroon, Douala is home to a variety of local hair salons that advertise with colourful painted signage. The bold lines, flatness, and bright colours of Cours Familiale are reminiscent of these illustrated advertisements and the stylistic techniques of pop art.