Romuald Hazoumè

Republic of Benin, born 1962

BiographyRomuald Hazoumè was born in Porto Novo, Republic of Benin, in 1962. He dedicated himself to art in the early 1980s after initially attempting careers in medicine and professional sports. Hazoumè is of Yoruba ancestry and he continued to uphold his Yoruba religion with the Ifa, the way of life. Largely recognized for his sculptures and installations of found objects, Hazoumè is also proficient in painting, videos, photography, and performances.

Yoruba’s works are interdisciplinary in its combination of anthropological and cultural history, inclusion of the Yoruba religion and exploration of the increasing diaspora between “traditional African rituals within the contemporary society” (Drutt). His primary interest in masks began as a child when he created masks out of salvaged materials. It was not until the mid-1980s when Hazoumè began using plastic petrol cans to make his signature masks. Hazoumè considers his monumental installation, La Bouche du Roi (1997-2005), which primarily explores the history of slavery and colonialism in West Africa, as his most significant work (Drutt). La Bouche du Roi is a multimedia installation comprised of 304 plastic petrol can masks that are arranged as the Liverpool slave ship. Each mask is meant to symbolize a slave. Additionally, symbols of orisha, Yoruba gods, appear throughout the piece.

Hazoumè participated in founding the Fondation Zinsou in Cotonou, Benin—a gallery and cultural centre which aims to promote contemporary African and world art (Spring). He has exhibited at the Menil Collection, Houston (2005), the Musée du quai Branly, Paris (2006), and at the British Museum (2007-9). He also participated in Africa Remix at the Hayward Gallery, London in 2005 and was commissioned to create a piece for the 2007 Uncomfortable Truths exhibition the Victoria and Albert Museum. In 2007 at Documenta 12 in Kassel, Germany, Hazoumè was awarded the prestigious Arnold Bode-Prize.

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