Art of the Cameroon Grassfields, A Living Heritage in Houston
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Loading... - Daniel Ngono
- 07 Apr 2023
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“The Menil Collection is pleased to announce Art of the Cameroon Grassfields, A Living Heritage in Houston, an exhibition celebrating the enduring artistic traditions from Cameroon and its diaspora. On view at the Menil from February 17–July 9, 2023, the show will present more than twenty historical works from Houston-based collections, including the Menil; the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; and local private collections. In a separate gallery space, the museum will display recent artworks by Douala-based artist Hervé Youmbi.
Hervé Youmbi said, “In my work, I have been building connections, or gateways, between two parallel worlds, the one of global contemporary art and the ritual one of so-called traditional African art. The two installations that will be presented at the Menil Collection were made and exhibited as contemporary art and, later, activated through ritual ceremonies or integrated into the royal courts of the Grassfields. Local communities and leaders have accepted them, made them theirs, but they can move fluidly back and forth between the two worlds. For this exhibition, they travel from their traditional spaces in the Grassfields to the museum’s gallery.”
Paul R. Davis, Curator of Collections, said, “What started with an ongoing, closer study of the Menil’s holdings of art from the African continent became an opportunity for the museum to engage with the different Cameroonian communities in Houston and to explore the ways in which the artistic heritage of the Grassfields circulates internationally. Traveling with Hervé Youmbi in the Grassfields to request loans of his work from the different royal collections was a real honor. It has been equally special to collaborate with Houston-based Cameroonian organizations and to access works from the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, and other local collections. The exhibition project highlights how the cultural heritage of the Grassfields reverberates in our incredible city.”
Dr. Heribert Zouetchou of the La Famille Bamiléké de Houston (LAFABAH) said, “We are really energized by this exhibition at the Menil Collection. As one of the nonprofit Cameroonian cultural organizations in the city, LAFABAH strives to strengthen connections between communities in Cameroon and the Houston metropolitan area. This is a special opportunity to display the marvelous arts of the Grassfields and share our heritage with visitors to the museum.” Read More..
