The 19th edition of Art Madrid will take place from March 6 to 10, 2024, at the Crystal Gallery of the Palacio de Cibeles. This is an unmissable event for contemporary art, featuring 40 national and international contemporary art galleries and attracting a significant number of collectors, art foundations, and museums. This edition provides a current and fresh perspective on the international artistic landscape and stands out for its impact on the latest trends in artistic creation.
For its third participation, Sorella Acosta, Director of OOA GALLERY has curated three contemporary African artists: Ajarb Bernard (expressionism), Evans Mbugua (cosmic pop art), and Rémy Samuz (iron weaving sculpture).
Ajarb Bernard
Ajarb's artistic journey began in 1998 with illustrations on plywood, marking the inception of his career as a painter. Upon relocating to Douala in 2001, Ajarb experienced a transformative encounter with painting at the French Cultural Centre during an exhibition by the artist Hako Hankson. This exposure introduced him to a new dimension of art, surrounded by creative and audacious artists whose diverse works served as a mosaic of philosophies, each defending its uniqueness.
Ajarb's artistic focus revolves around the vibrant street life he intimately understands. His work unveils a multifaceted city, characterized by its industriousness, noise, and eclecticism. Amidst urban chaos, Ajarb captures moments of daily life, where the calmness of a pause or respite contrasts sharply with the frenetic pace of contemporary times. He adeptly portrays the duality between the multipolar energy and constant movement in public spaces, juxtaposed with moments of truth when characters seem suspended in time. Rather than denying the bustling city, Ajarb intercepts moments of ceasefire, emphasizing the density of spatial occupation and creating a poetic void within the disorder. His artistic expression exhibits traits reminiscent of Pop Art, with influences from artists like Jackson Pollock, evident in the profusion of color, and Damien Hirst.
Ajarb has showcased his work in numerous solo and group exhibitions both in Cameroon and internationally. Represented by esteemed galleries such as Jack Bell Gallery in London, Peres Projects Gallery in Berlin, Fredric Snitzer Gallery in Miami, and from 2024 OOA Gallery in Barcelona, his art has been featured in prestigious fairs including Art Basel, FIAC, Expo Chicago, and Frieze. Notably, Ajarb's creations are part of renowned collections, including the Chazen Museum of Art at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Pérez Art Museum Miami, and Zuzeum Art Centre.
Evans Mbugua: Lessons in Selfhood
Marking his debut appearance at Spain’s foremost art fair, Mbugua (b. 1979) has created a new set of paintings and large-scale installation for the gallery’s booth and the entrance of Galería de Cristal of the Palacio de Cibeles in Downtown Madrid. The three sets of works in Lessons in Selfhood, curated by Sabo Kpade, -- We are all Spinning round the Same Sun [Act 2] (2023), Cousinhood Gimmicks (2024) and Alternation (2024) -- brings to conclusion Mbugua’s long-standing series Back to the Future (2018-2024), his exploration of the “age of life”, childhood and child-rearing practices, youth and adolescence. The series is inspired by the artist’s kinship with his niece and nephews, whose life cycles in contemporary Paris mirrors the artist’s own upbringing in Nairobi.
Lessons in Selfhood is predicated on three principles: as visual anthropology for artistic inquiries; as additional source history for adolescence and, lastly, as new, artistic interpretations of childhood in the early 21st century. The works in the show exemplify Mbugua’s fascination with perspex and its material qualities, at the same time interrogating the powers of portraiture, and the chromatic possibilities of colour.
Often described as “cosmic pop art”, Mbugua’s design complex references the use of colour in British and American pop art, persistent ideas about portraiture and Abstract Expressionism of the 20th century, textiles patterns and weaving techniques from East and West Africa.
Rémy Samuz
Rémy SAMUZ has masterfully honed the art of weaving wire, a technique that grants him the ability to craft strikingly large creations with a harmonious blend of rigidity and weightlessness, showcasing remarkable dexterity. However, within the delicate interplay of volume, transparencies, and intricately expressed faces and attitudes, lies a profound narrative – one exclusively centered around the human form.
In 2024, Rémy Samuz' artistic journey reached new heights with a prestigious showcase at Art Madrid with OOA GALLERY, followed by a solo show at the French Institute in Cotonou. This marked a significant milestone following a series of notable exhibitions and achievements in previous years. In August 2023, Remy Samuz was invited by OOA GALLERY to participate in an artistic residence, followed in November by a show “Iron Man”. In 2022, Samuz participated in the exhibition "Arts of Benin, yesterday and today" at Marina Palace, Cotonou, Benin, shedding light on the complex historical and contemporary narratives of Beninese art. In 2019, the artist engaged in an enriching artistic residency titled "Transfer" at the Blachère Foundation in Apt, France, expanding the horizons of creativity and collaboration. The years prior were marked by a diverse array of international exhibitions, including solo exhibitions, such as "Conférences de Femmes" at the French Institute in Cotonou, Benin, and participation in prestigious events like the Dak’Art Biennial in Dakar, Senegal.
