Originally from the South West region of Cameroon, Sesse Elangwe was born on February 25, 1994 in Ngaoundéré in the Adamaoua region to Cameroonian parents. He is the fourth child in a family of seven children. Passionate about drawing since elementary school, this penchant was confirmed when in 2006, he entered secondary school and joined "Le Crayon de D'jino", a six-year program sponsored by the Breweries of Cameroon. He then went to the University of Buea where he obtained a BSC in Political Science. After six years in the program sponsored by the Breweries of Cameroon, he was hired to teach, then thought for a year before deciding to embark on an artistic career. He organized his first exhibition in 2013 in Buea, in the Southwest region of Cameroon, entitled WHAT ABOUT US. Since then, he has participated in over twenty exhibitions around the world. Notably, "The Last Picture Show" in Paris in 2018; "Concordant Transports" in Texas, in 2021. He is also the winner of several awards including the 1st prize in the Patrimonito storyboard competition of UNESCO in 2012. He was similarly awarded 2nd prize at the Mur Mur festival in Burkina Faso in 2018.
By combining African heritage with art movements such as cubism, surrealism and pop art, Elangwe's works are enriched. He confidently perpetuates his aesthetic to critically document some of the conditions experienced by the black community. His compositions breathe in the art movements that Elangwe admires, as he plays with notions of light and the blurred lines of reality. He places his characters in captivating settings full of depth to create his scenes. These scenes accentuate the magnificence of the skin and face of his subjects. The positioning of their larger-than-life eyes is the focal point that arouses curiosity and immediately captivates the viewer. Their magnified eyes lead to an existential place between the here and now without moving, immersion at its best. The eyes symbolize an awakening that encourages viewers to ask themselves tough questions - a recurring trait in his current work.
Works by Elangwe have been collected globally and integrated prestigious private collections such as : The Green family art foundation (Dallas, Texas), W Art foundation (Shanghai, China), Xitang foundation (Beijing, China), Lester Marks collection (Houston, Texas), Schulting Collection (Amsterdam, Netherlands), Pamela Hornik Collection (Palo Alto, California), Tim Tan Collection (Manila, Philippines), Casauccelo Collection (Manila, Philippines), Marcus Tan Ser Lay (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia), Roberto Mancini Collection (St Tropez, France) etc.
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New world, 2024
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Armstrong's dilemma, 2024
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Kiara's world, 2024
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Olivier’s house, 2024
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Our reality, 2024
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Junior's world 2, 2024
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Portrait of Veni, 2024
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Abuanek 2, 2024
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"This or That", 2024
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Thinking of pride, 2022
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In my mood, 2023
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Black arrows, 2022
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Political Yahoo, 2022
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Kolo ya mor , 2022
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If we could talk, 2022
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"This or That ?"
Sesse Elangwe Ngeseli 25 May - 27 Jul 2024 ParisFrom May 25 to July 27, 2024 , 193 Gallery presents 'This or That ?', a solo show by Sesse Elangwe Ngeseli. The artist plunges visitors into an introspective biography...Read more -
Traits to remember : the aesthetics and politics of black portraits.
Idris Habib⎮Sesse Elangwe Ngeseli ⎮Bara Sketchbook 25 Jun - 21 Aug 2022 VeniceBased in Venice since last April, the 193 Gallery continues its series of exhibitions Colore e Materia with its second installment entitled Traits to remember: the aesthetics and politics of...Read more -
Dicokam
Sesse Elangwe Ngeseli ⎮ Arnold Fokam ⎮ Marcel Tchopwe ⎮ Beya Gille Gacha ⎮ Grâce Dorothée Tong ⎮ Aurélie Djiena⎮ Leuna Noumbimboo ⎮ Alida Ymelé 2 Jun - 31 Jul 2022 ParisIn its 350 m² space at 24 rue Béranger, 193 Gallery discovers the artistic lexicon of the Cameroonian scene by presenting the works of eight talented contemporary artists. This eclectic panorama highlights the cultural effervescence of Cameroon, which today resonates on the international scene.Read more
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Small but Mighty Fair artmonte-carlo 2024 Draws Major Collectors and Sales in Monaco - Artsy
8 Jul 2024Taking a similarly global approach was Paris-based 193 Gallery —returning to the fair for the third time—with a booth that took visitors on a global...Read more -
Aldo Chaparro pushes the limits - Le Quotidien de l'Art
2 Jul 2024The delicate appearance of folded sheet metal by Peruvian-Mexican artist Aldo Chaparro (b. 1965) is the result of a close encounter with steel, in stark...Read more -
Miart 2024, the 10 best booths at Milan's contemporary art fair - Finestre sull'Arte
11 Apr 2024The 193 Gallery booth at Miart A booth... divided into three, that of Parisian gallery 193 Gallery . It starts with Thandiwe Muriu , a...Read more -
" Africa Supernova. Contemporary African painting collection by Carla and Pieter Schulting " at Kunsthal KAdE Museum
18 Nov 2023African painting has boomed in recent years. This reflects the self-awareness with which artists on the continent look at themselves and their position in the...Read more