Romuald Hazoumè (born 1962, Porto Novo,

Republic of Dahomey The Republic of Dahomey (; ), simply known as Dahomey (), was established on 4 December 1958, as a self-governing colony within the French Community. Prior to attaining autonomy, it had been French Dahomey, part of the French Union. On 1 Augu ...

) is a Yoruba artist and sculptor, from the Republic of Bénin. He is best known for his work '' La Bouche du Roi'', a reworking of the 1789 image of the

slave ship Slave ships were large cargo ships specially built or converted from the 17th to the 19th century for transporting Slavery, slaves. Such ships were also known as "Guineamen" because the trade involved human trafficking to and from the Guinea ( ...

'' Brookes''. ''La Bouche du Roi'' was widely exhibited in the

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as part of the centenary remembrance of the

Slave Trade Act 1807 The Slave Trade Act 1807 ( 47 Geo. 3 Sess. 1. c. 36), or the Abolition of Slave Trade Act 1807, was an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom prohibiting the Atlantic slave trade in the British Empire. Although it did not automatica ...

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. He only uses recycled materials to create his works. Hazoumè is also known for his mask series, which he started in the mid-1980s. These masks, made from discarded gasoline canisters, resemble those used in traditional

African culture The Culture of Africa is varied and manifold, consisting of a mixture of countries with various peoples depicting their unique characteristic and trait from the continent of Africa. It is a product of the diverse populations that inhabit the ...

and ceremonies. In explaining these works, Hazoumè has said: “I send back to the West that which belongs to them, that is to say, the refuse of consumer society that invades us every day.”CAACart.
/ref> Hazoumè is among the artists represented in The Contemporary African Art Collection (CAAC) of Jean Pigozzi.

Selected exhibitions

Solo

*2012 ''Cargoland'' - October Gallery, London *2011 ''Romuald Hazoumè *2010 ''Romuald Hazoumè: My Paradise - Made in Porto Novo'', Gerisch-Stiftung, Neumünster, Germany *2009 ''Romuald Hazoumè: Made in Porto-Novo'', October Gallery, London *2009 ''Exit Ball'', Aliceday, Brussels, Belgium *2008 ''La Bouche du Roi'', Horniman Museum & Gardens, London *2007 ''La Bouche du Roi'': An artwork by Romuald Hazoumè, The British Museum, London, England *2006 ''La Bouche du Roi'', Musée du quai Branly, Paris, France *2005 ''Romuald Hazoumè Installation Art'', CAISA (City of Helsinki Cultural Office), Helsinki, Finland *2005 ''ARTicle 14 - débrouilles-toi, toi-même'', October Gallery, London *2001 ''Romuald Hazoumè''Galerie Olivier Houg, Lyon *1998 ''Romuald Hazoumè'', Art Gallery of New South Wales,shush, Sydney, Australia *1997 ''Romuald Hazoumè'', Galerie 20, Arnhem

Group

*2010/2011 The Land Between Us, Whitworth Art Gallery, Manchester, UK *2010/2011 The Global Africa Project, MAD – Museum of Arts and Design, New York *2010/2011 ''21st Century: Art in the First Decade'', Queensland Art Gallery, Brisbane, Australia *2010 ''African Stories'', Marrakech Art Fair, Marrakech *2009 ''Against Exclusion'', 3rd biennale of Contemporary Art, The Garage Center for Contemporary Culture, Moscow, Russia *2008 ''Angaza Afrika - African Art Now'', October Gallery, London *2008 ''PetrodollART'', Galerie Motte et Rouard, Paris, France *2007/2008 ''Why Africa?'', Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli,

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, Italy *2007 ''UN/FAIR TRADE, Die Kunst der Gerechtigkeit'', Neue Galerie Graz am Landesmuseum Joanneum, Graz, Austria *2007 ''From Courage to Freedom - El Anatsui / Romuald Hazoumè / Owusu-Ankomah'', October Gallery, London *2004-2007 ''Africa Remix'', Dusseldorf; Hayward Gallery, London; Centre pompidou, Paris; Mori Art Museum, Tokyo; Moderna Museet, Stockholm, Johannesburg Art Gallery, Johannesburg, South Africa *1999 ''Spaceship Earth'', Art in General, New York *1999 ''Paradise 8'', Exit Art, New York *1999 ''Liverpool Biennial: International Festival of Contemporary Art'', Liverpool, UK *1992 ''Out of Africa: Contemporary African Artists from the Pigozzi Collection'', Saatchi, Gallery, London

Awards and prizes

* 2009 3rd Biennale of Contemporary Art, Moscow * 2007 Arnold-Bode-Preis, documenta 12, Kassel * 1996 George-Maciunas-Preis, Wiesbaden

References

External links