BLACK & RED, BEYOND COLOR

                                                                                                                                           Gu Zhenqing

   Cameroon-born Dutch female photographer Angèle Etoundi Essamba’s unique vision of women, especially in the sensitive expression of African and black women, has come to form a new interpretation of the cultural upheaval of the African community in the context of globalization. Through the black women under her lens, the viewer gains a glimpse into the private face of contemporary Africa. The photogenic color contrasts and the dark faces in the images constitute the theme of Angèle’s art : humanity. The expression of human nature is the one common trait in all of her work. She does not focus on pioneering forms or emphasize public visual impact. She has always strived to express ultimate values through the power of affinity in her art: timelessness and freedom.

   Angèle’s works are not just the expression of African cultural conflict between tradition and modernism, but also the embodiment of the defense of feminine consciousness. The exhibition goes beyond cultural collision to evoke a sense of cultural awareness and self-awareness. This is the reason that I have chosen to present the first retrospective of the works of this African artist in a public exhibition at Li Space inBeijing. The exhibition creates a unique opportunity to explore and share Angèle’s art with Chinese audiences.