A-FIL-IATION 28
Angèle Etoundi Essamba
2022
Fine art print on dibond and plexiglas
80 cm x 80 cm and 100 cm x 100 cm
Edition of 8
The photo A-FIL-IATION 28 by Angèle Etoundi Essamba is part of her series with the same name. It shows a young black woman as half-length figure in front of a black and blue wall. She stands sidewards but turns her face to the front looking to the beholder. With her hands, she is spreading an irregular grid of threads, which at the wall fixed. The bright blue of the strings is repeated in her headscarf and the satin spaghetti strap dress. A skein of plaits winds from the neck to the front. She wears small silver stud earrings and a bangle of the same colour at her right wrist. By the light incident from the upper left, the woman’s right side of the face is highlighted, as her right shoulder is. Moreover, her head seems to be surrounded by a kind of aureole, since the light is reflected on the black background.
Her expression allows various interpretations. The young woman’s eyes are pointed directly to the contemplator. Is she conscient to be regarded? Even though her full lips are closed and might show severity or pensiveness, they might change in an instant to a smile. The partially lighted temple, nose and lips underline this impression. Her slightly raised chin is accentuated by the illuminated shoulder. This pose could mean self-confidence and/or pride.
Vanishing behind the grid, the woman raises her left arm and lifts a skein of the threads with the hand. Though the arm seems to be a bit trapped. Whereas her right hand vigorously pulls the wool down. Once again, the highlighted right shoulder underlines the dynamic gesture. Although the grid takes two thirds of the picture plane the young woman masters it. Despite the dominant blue colour, she is very present in the image, due to her active intervention in the arrangement of the threads and even more by her self-confident posture und expression.
Nevertheless, the grid of threads is also important. For the artist, it is a metaphor for the woman’s connection to the world. In history, spinning, weaving and embroidering was assigned to women. When possible, they sat together and exchanged information. Nowadays, lot of conversation is made via internet. Virtually, we are connected to the whole world. In this sense, the grid in the photo stands for the world wide web and the young woman enters it and takes control of her own communication. Besides, the left arm behind the grid might be a hint to the inconveniences or even dangers of the internet and with that a questioning of the virtual interconnectivity. In contrast to women of past generations, who often were dominated by men, many of today’s women have their own access to life. Therefore, Angèle has decided to reflect in her work on the identity of black women. She wants to break with stereotypes and enables her models to “show pride, strength and awareness and to take charge of their own narrative” (1).
Even though, the artist focusses on black women in her oeuvre, she picks up elements from occidental iconography. This is not surprisingly, since she lives in the occident and travels all over the world. While many western artists get their inspiration in Africa, Angèle finds it interesting to be fascinated and inspired by the Greek mythology or to revisit the Dutch seventeenth Century to question the past. In doing so, she shows that we are in a limitless world which transcend all barriers. (2)
In our example, she has chosen a celestial blue. A colour used in Christian representation of the Virgin Mary. The aureole and the satin dress of the young woman in the photo could be a reference to that. Moreover, the discrete silver jewellery could refer to depictings of heaven in the Middle Ages, where stars on blue ground portrayed the celestial sphere. Additionally, the work with threads could remind mythological narratives, like the one of Penelope, wife from Ulysses, who had unravelled at night the shroud she had woven during the day to delay marrying another man. In doing so, Penelope took her destiny in her own hands, like the young woman.
Angèle’s series A-FIL-IATIONS was first on view at the Cameroon’s pavilion at the Venice Biennale from 2022. Until 6th October 2024, it is part of her first solo exhibition in Rome “Donne Determinate” (Determinated Woman) in the Museo di Roma in Trastevere. Moreover, the photographs are included in Angèle’s photobook “Everything is Connected“, to be released soon.
Angèle Etoundi Essamba
Born in 1962 in Douala, Cameroon, Angèle Etoundi Essamba moved at the age of 10 to Paris. Early, she was interested in photography and made her high school graduation in France. Then she transferred to Amsterdam and studied there at the Nederlandse Fotovakschool (Dutch School for Professional Photography), which she left with a diploma. Additionally, she holds a bachelor’s degree in art history. Subsequently, she returned to Cameroon for a while.
In her work, the representation of black women is Angèle’s primary objective. By her reflection on the identity of black women, she breaks stereotypes and empowers her models to “show pride, strength and awareness and to take charge of their own narrative” (1). In the beginning of her career, she focussed on analogue black and white photography, which she developed in her own darkroom. Since 2006, she replaced this technique by digital photography. However, several of her works are still dominated by these “non-colours”, but accentuated by accessories in bright colours, like in her series “Droit de Regard” from 2021, where the depicted women are wearing colourful headscarves. Besides single portraits, there are double portraits and group photographs (Terre, Corps à Corps) and pictures of women in their environment (Women of the Water, Healing, Un autre Monde). Herewith, the artist transmits impressions of contemporary African women and culture. By the time, colours entered increasingly in the oeuvre.
To underline the importance of her models, Angèle also introduces occidental iconography. Hereby, she sometimes refers to Christian depictions of the Virgin Mary (Les Voix du Silence, A-Fil-Iations), paintings from the Dutch seventeenth Century (Girl with an Amber Earring, Renaissance) or even to Greek mythology like in our Artwork of the Month / October 2024, which features A-Fil-Iation 28.
Since 1985, Angèle presents her works in numerous solo exhibitions and participates in many group shows, biennales and fairs all around the world. Besides Europe and Africa, her photographs travelled to United States, Latin America, Arab Emirates and Asia. Additionally, her works were inter alia on view at the Bienal de La Habana, the Johannesburg Biennale and twice at the Venice Biennale (1994 and 2022) In her second Venice participation, her series A-Fil-Iations was part of the Pavilion of the Republic of Cameroon. Until 6th October 2024, the artist has her first solo exhibition in Rome “Donne Determinate” (Determinated Woman) in the Museo di Roma in Trastevere. From 23rd October to 30th November 2024, her oeuvre will be exhibited in the Musée Confluences, Dar El Bachar in Marrakech under the title “Regard de Femmes” (View of Women) and is until 23th February 2025 part of the group show “Africa Rising: 21st-Century African Photography” in the Fitchburg Art Museum (United States).
Angèle’s photographs entered in many private and public collections like Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York, the World Bank Art Program, Washington DC and The National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington DC. Moreover, her works are frequently reviewed in international publications. Besides photography, Angèle makes videos, writes poems and creates sculptures. Moreover, she published several photobooks, for example “Everything is Connected” will be released soon.
Angèle lives and works in Amsterdam.
(1) Artist statement 28 September 2024, view also https://www.essamba-art.com/about/ 20 September 2024
(2) Artist statement 28 September 2024