Lot 90: Gerard Quenum (Beninese, born 1971) Barbie in Africa 169 x 22 x 19 cm (66 9/16 x 8 11/16 x 7 1/2in)

Barbie in Africa
wood, doll, wire and metal
169 x 22 x 19 cm (66 9/16 x 8 11/16 x 7 1/2in)

Gérard Quenum was born in 1971 in Porto-Novo, Benin. His work makes powerful use of discarded children’s dolls, which he restructures, recomposes and paints adding other elements such as wood and red ribbons, and often draws on the Fá and vodun traditions of the Republic of Benin. An artist, he believes, is first a messenger and then an aesthete.

We are most grateful to the October Gallery for their assistance in the preparation of this catalogue entry