A Recognised talent
Anjel (Boris Anje) had the good fortune of being a 2016 artist-in-residence at the prestigious 'Les Ateliers Sahm' Brazzaville, Congo, where he was so fascinated by the city's celebrated dandies - also known throughout Africa as 'Sapeurs' - that he began making these colourful characters the primary subjects of his vibrant paintings.
I draw my inspiration from my immediate environment
Art it is!
Having always been interested in figurative art - he started drawing characters from comic books when he was just nine years old and was the president of his secondary school's art club when he was sixteen - Anjel became deeply interested in the history of art while at the university, where he had a teacher who taught him the importance of perseverance in his practice and consistency in his work - two invaluable lessons that he has out to great use.
I find a lot of refuge in my artistic practice, in my studio.
I put my subjects in the position of power...portraying with sincerity.
Creating a visual contrast between realistically rendered black bodies (both friends and figures found on social media sites and¡d through internet searches) and abstract logo-loaded, coloured grounds, Anjel makes Neo-pop Art paintings that provide spirited insights into his stylish models, while simultaneously painting out the persuasive influence of consumer culture.
each canvas has a different aura… each piece carries a form of energy, a form of emotion, a state of mind… having a particular message, a particular focus point.
Afro Seduction Exhibition
Celebrated for his lively Neo-Pop Art paintings of contemporary African dandies, the Cameroon artist Anjel, who was born Boris Anje in 1993, continues his colourful exploration of fashionable black scenesters in the exhibition 'Afro Seduction', his second solo show with OOA Gallery, Barcelona, Spain.
Post realised with the collaboration of Sorella Acosta - Text by Paul Lauster
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