Reunion with Koko Komegne, artist
Koko in the Doual'Art garden |
Epée Ellong redesigned the exterior to reflect the region's artistic heritage by creating African masks using marble residue.
I don't recall how we met Koko Komegne, but we heard that he was a talented painter. We commissioned him with painting frescoes in the cafeteria interior--which he did in record time. The eleven frescoes are based on a jazz theme--another of Koko's passions is music.
University Center of Dschang cafeteria |
It had been years since I last saw Koko Komegne. Fortunately a few years ago I read about him online. He is still living in Douala, and I obtained his cell phone number. (In Cameroon, most people now use cell phones rather than land lines, as it is very difficult to obtain a land line and if the invoice is outrageous, there is nothing to do but be cut off.)
I called him and we made an appointment to meet at the cultural center, Doual'Art, in Bonanjoh, near the historical Pagoda building.
A Koko Komegne painting in our NY apartment |
Although the life of an artist is often difficult all over the world, and Koko's is no different, he has been keeping busy these past years. Among other events, in 2006, the French Cultural Center commissioned a book about Koko's work, with articles by a variety of authors. (Unfortunately, the book is out of print.) He also recently designed a statue for a Douala roundabout.
More about Koko's life and work can be found on Wikipedia.
Koko and other Cameroonian intellectuals: Lionel Manga, Ntone Edjabe, and Jean-Pierre Bekolo |
Espace Doual'art |
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