Barthélémy Toguo b. 1967

Working across painting, drawing, sculpture, photography, performance, and installation, Barthélémy Toguo addresses enduring and immediately relevant issues of borders, exile, and displacement.  At the core of his practice is the notion of belonging, which stems from his dual French/Cameroonian nationality. Through poetic, hopeful, and often figural gestures connecting nature with the human body, Toguo foregrounds concerns with both ecological and societal implications. Recently, his works have been informed by movements and humanitarian tragedy including #BlackLivesMatter and the refugee crisis. He states, “What guides me is a constantly evolving aesthetic but also a sense of ethics, which makes a difference, and structures my entire approach.”

In 2008, he founded Bandjoun Station in his native Cameroon to foster contemporary art and culture within the local community. The community center includes an exhibition space, a library, an artist residency, and an organic farm. Toguo has participated in numerous international biennials, including the Sydney Biennale (2011, 2022); Kochi-Muziris Biennale, India (2018); Echigo-Tsumari Art Triennale (2018); 56th Venice Biennale (2015); Havana Biennial (2012); 11th Biennale de Lyon (2011); and Dakar Biennale (2000, 2010, 2016, 2018, 2022).