CURATOR’S NOTEBOOK by Neal Rosenthal

While working in West Africa in 2019 on a personal project for The Mad Rose Foundation, our family organization, I had the pleasure of spending several days in the company of an informal artists’ collaborative based in the Fidjrossé district of Cotonou, the commercial capital of Benin, a country with a particularly rich history.  Benin, a former French colony,  sits on the Gulf of Guinea on the Atlantic coast surrounded by Nigeria to the south, Togo to the north, and Burkina Faso and Niger to the east.  Historically, and notoriously, Benin (known previously as Dahomey) was the launching point for the slave ships that left the African continent for Brazil, the Caribbean, and the USA.  Traces of this history abound but, perhaps remarkably, there is a joy and positive energy that animates everyday life in this special place.  That is the spirit I found in the works of this group of young artists.

 After a return trip in September 2023, we decided to bring to The Mad Rose Gallery the work of seven artists, all of whom work at least part of the time from their ateliers in Fidjrossé, including a wandering photographer based in Togo.  In addition to photography, this show “Expo Fidjrossé” includes painting, mixed media, and sculpture.  The works are colorful, exuberant, and quite personal.  They reflect the extraordinary energy of this place along with historical references, recognition of the particular problems and obstacles that are present currently on the African continent, all expressed with an underlying optimism.

Join the conversation around these incredible Artists:

Anne-Marie Akplogan – Painter
Eric Medard – Painter
Mahoussi – Mixed Media: Painter/Sculptor
Marius Dansou- Sculptor
Nobel Koty – Painter
Syl Loko – Painter
Zododo Ekue – Photographer