Dominique Zinkpè
b. 1969, Benin
Petite Princesse, 2021
Assemblage of hand-sculpted and painted hôhô figurines
123x62x60cm
“Dominque Zinkpè’s multidisciplinary installations depict contorted, grotesque human forms created from thick tree roots, an improvisation for twine. His sculptural works and drawings are more intimate and revealing, often denouncing various forms of injustice and hypocrisy and underscoring the unresolved tensions that have arisen from the fusion of Catholicism, animism and indigenous traditions with contemporary culture. His works mimic flow diagrams, at once explorations of the dilemmas and complexities of the artist’s own life. The strange hybrid beings—both man and animal—dance, evoking the transcendental power play and games of masquerade, sex and gender deeply rooted in Beninese history and culture,” according to a statement released by his gallery on 1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair website.