Dominique Zinkpe (born 1969, in Cotonou, Benin) is a
contemporary African artist. He won an award from the
West African Economic and Monetary Union in 2002 for "Malgie Tout!"
Biography
Dominique Zinkpè, a self-taught artist, was born in
Cotonou
Cotonou (; fon, Kútɔ̀nú) is a city in Benin. Its official population count was 679,012 inhabitants in 2012; however, over two million people live in the larger urban area.
The urban area continues to expand, notably toward the west. The ci ...
,
Benin, in 1969. He began documenting his work at the
library of the Centre Culturel Français, where he discovered a new
cosmos and opened himself up to the world, when he was very young. In 1993, he had his first exhibition at the
Chinese Cultural Center in Cotonou, where he was given "the status of Artist," as he likes to call it. In the same year, he was chosen to represent Benin at the Grapholies exhibition in
Abidjan, where he was awarded the
Young African Talent Award.
Career
Dominique specializes in plastic writing and works with a variety of media (installation,
drawing
Drawing is a form of visual art in which an artist uses instruments to mark paper or other two-dimensional surface. Drawing instruments include graphite pencils, pen and ink, various kinds of paints, inked brushes, colored pencils, crayons, ...
,
painting,
sculpture, video). His work frequently confronts, occasionally highlights, and condemns. Zinkpè's paintings are inspired by his surroundings and the circumstances in which he finds himself. Zinkpè's paintings follow winding courses in which the
protagonist
A protagonist () is the main character of a story. The protagonist makes key decisions that affect the plot, primarily influencing the story and propelling it forward, and is often the character who faces the most significant obstacles. If a st ...
s, who are halfway between
human and
animal, evoke games of
power,
disguise, or
sex
Sex is the trait that determines whether a sexually reproducing animal or plant produces male or female gametes. Male plants and animals produce smaller mobile gametes (spermatozoa, sperm, pollen), while females produce larger ones (ova, oft ...
, alluding to our own human
comedy. On the canvas, he has a distinct style that is
intimate
Intimate may refer to:
* Intimate examination, a physical examination for medical purposes that includes examination of the breasts, genitalia, or rectum of a patient
* Intimate ion pair, the interactions between a cation, anion and surrounding sol ...
, strong, and provocative. His sculptures are often made of coiled
burlap or miniature merged
wooden figurines.
Awards
In 1993, he won the Prix Jeune Talent Africain (Young African Talent) Award at the Grapholie in Abidjan.
In 2002, at the Dakar Biennale he received the West African Economic and Monetary Union (UEMOA) Prize for his installation Malgie Tout.
References
1969 births
Living people
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