Urevbu Contemporary is pleased to present Driven to Abstraction, a duo exhibition featuring new paintings by Congolese artist Doudou Mbemba and Cameroonian artist Romeo Temwa. Doudou and Romeo’s very different painting styles illustrate the breadth of abstraction. While each artist is inspired by the personal details of his Central African upbringing, the humanity and contemporaneity that suffuse their paintings is transcendent.
Doudou lives and works in Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo. His paintings have been featured in solo and group exhibitions throughout Europe and Africa. Driven to Abstraction marks his debut in the United States. Romeo lives and works in Douala, Cameroon. His paintings have been shown in solo and group exhibitions in Europe, Africa, and the United States.
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INTRODUCING DOUDOU MBEMBA
Driven to AbstractionArtist Statement
Doudou’s energetic paintings are a revelation in texture and color as he explores themes of identity and community, immigration and migration, technology and mechanization. In Doudou’s most recent work, he was inspired to rebuild the human form out of mechanical devices. He has an affinity for experimenting with different media on canvas, from the more traditional oil and acrylic paints rendered with brush and palette knife to playful paper collaging and mixed media. Depicting his subjects in textures that mimic metal, wood, and packaging materials, Doudou’s compositions evoke sensations of splintering and fracturing.
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Doudou’s energetic paintings are a revelation in texture and color as he explores themes of identity and community, immigration and migration, technology and mechanization. In Doudou’s most recent work, he was inspired to rebuild the human form out of mechanical devices. He has an affinity for experimenting with different media on canvas, from the more traditional oil and acrylic paints rendered with brush and palette knife to playful paper collaging and mixed media. Depicting his subjects in textures that mimic metal, wood, and packaging materials, Doudou’s compositions evoke sensations of splintering and fracturing.
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AVAILABLE ARTWORK
Doudou Mbemba -
ROMEO TEMWA
ARTIST BIO
Romeo Temwa was born in northern Cameroon in 1993. He is a graduate of Institute des Beaux-Arts, Foumban with degrees in Fine Art and Art History. Romeo’s distinctive technique of working with both acrylic and ink creates dynamic paintings that match his interest in personal and digital human relationships. Romeo’s notable achievements to date include two artists’ residencies: with renowned curator Simon Njami in Doula in 2017 and most recently in the Ivory Coast in 2020. His first solo exhibition was held in Berlin last year. Romeo’s paintings have been shown in exhibitions in Europe, Africa, and the United States. The artist lives and works in Douala, Cameroon.
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Available Artwork - Romeo Temwa
Driven to Abstraction -
