Binelde Hyrcan

‘Society is my atelier.’

-The Artist

Binelde Hyrcan’s thematically rich and multi-layered practice traverses several mediums, including paintings, drawing, sculpture, film, installation, and performance. Central to his artistic narrative is the exploration of the absurdities surrounding political and social norms, often utilizing dreams and the idealistic wonders of the imagination within his work as a means of coping.

Raised in Luanda during the country’s nearly 30 year long civil war, Hyrcan’s elegantly witty and satirical oeuvre is imbued with his life’s journey and experience as a child growing up in war-torn Angola. The youngest of ten children born to a seamstress and farmer, Hyrcan’s familial bonds and upbringing in Angola have left an irradicable mark on practice, often referencing stories from his childhood in his works.

The present lot, titled A Jerry Can, is part of a four-piece series where the artist inscribes "This is a Yellow Jerry Can" in the four languages that encompass his daily existence: Portuguese, French, Italian, and English. The overt simplicity and indisputable nature of the text imbues the drawing with a tangible sincerity, juxtaposed against the presence of the jerry can. For the artist, this simple object carries a far deeper significance that reverberates far beyond the simple design and function. Carrying a profound tie to Angola, the jerry can serves as both a visual symbol and an extension of life in the country.

‘Jerry Cans, seen everywhere in Angola, are the keepers of the African continent. The object enables lives to take place – they are members of our family.’

-The Artist

Binelde Hyrcan studied scenography at Monte Carlo Art School, Pavillon Bosio. His works have been exhibited internationally at Museo del Risorgimento, Palazzo Morando, Hamburger Bahnhof, Berlin, Centre Pompidou, Paris, the Angolan Pavilion at the 56th Venice Biennale and The Jewish Museum, NY, among others.

Please note that the Italian and French versions of the present lot were exhibited at Liste Art Fair in Basel Switzerland 2022.