LOOKING ON THE BRIGHT SIDE
The human figure occupies a central place in his resolutely figurative work. He draws his subjects from his own lived experiences. The major themes he addresses are hope, audacity and joy. The space that is occupied by the urban environment in the works of Evans Mbugua is reflected by the presence of pictograms in form of motifs which fill the entire surface. These playful surfaces saturated by the accumulation of motifs, alternate between plenitude and emptiness, transparency and opacity, shadow and light. Hence the energy and vitality that emanate from his artworks. It’s a bias that the artist conceives as a response to the complexity of reality, an alternative to the sad news conveyed by the mainstream media. Always striving to look on the bright side, seems to be his leitmotiv yet this does not prevent him from being lucid about the reality of the world in which he lives.
Dagara Dakin, art critic
Having courage does not mean that we are unafraid. Having courage and showing courage means we face our fears.” – Maya Angelou
Exhibitions 2023
LE FEU DES ORIGINES
4 — 8/10
BISO Biennale, Burkina Faso.
SOLO / DUO EXHIBITIONS (selection)
2022
POINTS DE DEPART (Dakar Biennale Off) : Galerie Arte – Senegal.
2021
FLOWER POWER : Galeria Out of Africa – Espagne.
2020
TU M’ES INDISPENSABLE: REGARD SUD – France.
FREEDOM IS MINE !: Galeria Out of Africa – Espagne.
2019
A SPECTACULAR NOW: Circle Art Gallery – Kenya.
2018
RECALL: Galerie Art-Z – France.
PORTRAIT TIRÉ: Galerie Emmanuelle Rousse – France.
TRÉSORS D’AFRIQUE: Maison Chaumet – France.
DIALOGUE: Gallery of African Art (GAFRA) – Royaume Uni.
IDENTITIES: Galeria Out of Africa – Espagne.
2017
HIGHLIFE: Galerie Art-Z – France.
2016
STYLE FUSION: Gallery of African Art – Royaume-Uni.
EVANS MBUGUA: Galerie Art-Z – France.
GROUP EXHIBITIONS (selection)
2023
WE ARE ENOUGH : 193 Gallery – France.
2022
19th ASIAN ART BIENNALE : National Art Gallery of Bangladesh.
SCOPE Art Show (Miami) : Galeria Out of Africa (Spain) – USA.
AFRICAN IDENTITIES (Venice Biennale Off) : AKKA Project – Italy.
2021
1-54 Art Fair (Londres): Loft Art Gallery (Morocco) – UK.
ArtxLagos Art Fair: OOA (Espagne) – Nigeria.
2020
ART X LAGOS Art Fair: Galeria Out of Africa (Espagne) – Nigeria.
1-54 Art Fair (Londres): Atelier le Grand Village (France) – UK.
METAMORPHOSES: Galerie Emmanuelle Rousse – France.
ASPIRING: ArtCo Gallery – Germany.
2019
LES AFRIQUES AUTREMENT: Art-Z – France.
BEIRUT Art Fair: Galeria Out of Africa (Espagne) – Lebanon.
NAIROBI, HERE WE ART !: Galeria Out of Africa – Spain.
MON RÊVE EST POP: Loft Art Gallery – Morocco.
2018
AKAA Art Fair: ArtCo Gallery – Allemagne.
ART X Lagos Art Fair: Galeria Out of Africa – Espagne.
FNB JOBURG Art Fair: ArtCo Gallery – Afrique du Sud.
CAPE TOWN Art Fair: ArtCo Gallery – Afrique du Sud.
2017
EXODE: Galerie Emmanuelle Rousse – France.
My Collection: MoCADA museum – Etats-Unis.
The ArtBall 2017: Amref Health Africa – Etats-Unis.
2016
Cartes et Identités: Galerie Art-Z – France.
Origines et trajectoires: Piasa – France.
2015
Afriques à Venir: Galerie ko21 – France.
Afric’Art – Villetaneuse (COP21): HCE Galerie – France.
2014
La semaine du Kenya: UNESCO – France.
RESIDENCIES
2023
LE FEU DES ORIGINES : BISO Biennale, Burkina Faso.
2020
Printmaking residency: Atelier Le Grand Village – France.
2019
TRANSLATION [DES PAS ET DES MOTS]: Espaço Luanda Arte – Angola.
2018
Portrait Tiré: Galerie Emmanuelle Rousse – France.
2016
Art’Rimal: Galerie d’Art d’Oujda – Maroc.