Away from Africa

Masks, Initiés du Bassin du Congo, at the former Musée Dapper* A few years ago, I found out that the hype about Instagram was justified. I found it to be a great platform to post photos, and it's useful for those aiming to sell a product, as I have already purchased items from several vendors seen on Instagram! And not to forget the beautiful and inspirational photos and posts from all over the world. It is also a platform for cultural exchange. As a person with more than a little interest in Africa, I soon started following  @the.kraal . The stated mission:  " Exploring the magic of Africa and the diaspora through history, culture, traditions, spirituality, and more." The feed covers many regions of Africa, especially Sub-Saharan. It features traditions, art, religious practices, but also known and lesser-known heroes of Africa.  So little is known about Africa's history. Not only that there were kingdoms and erudition in pre-colonial times, but post-co...

During our recent stay in Cameroon, we were fortunate to find a group exhibition showing at Doual'art , the cultural center in downtown Douala. This is one of the rare, if not the only, nonprofit exhibition spaces in Cameroon. It is managed by Marilyn Douala Bell and Didier Schaub, located in the business center of Douala, Place du Gouvernement. Pieces by Joseph Francis Sumégné "Petit Masque I," Joseph Francis Sumégné "Petit Masque II," Joseph Francis Sumégné "The Family," Romuald Dikoumé, 2012 "La déchirure," Merlin Tefolo, 2012 "Deido Plage," Salifou Lindou, 2012 "Mental Thown I," Salifou Lindou, 2012 Marilyn Doualla Bell in the upstairs office Didier Schaub It is also the best place to meet with our old friend, the artist Koko Komegne .

Koko in the Doual'Art garden In 1987, when I was living in Cameroon and practicing as an architect with my spouse, Epée Ellong, we were asked to rehabilitate the cafeteria of the University Center of Dschang in West Cameroon. It was a Soviet-style building, squat and chunky; the Soviets were not present in Cameroon any longer. 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...