BIDOUNGA

Frank Russel Bidounga worked as account auditor at the Poto-Poto School of Painting in Brazzaville. Through several internships in painting and sculpture he eventually confirmed his preference to become an artist. His style alternates from figurative, cubist, semi-abstract to traditional symbolism. Bidounga’s technique is enriched by using oil paint, acrylic, paper maché, wood and fabric. He is particularly fond of warm colors and movement, evident from his colorful figures in his paintings. Consequently, his paintings seem intertwined as if in a dialogue from a dreamlike poetic world, where the notion of time and space seem intermingled. As the lines in his paintings intersect, they create familiar movements and shapes. It is at this moment, as ones eyesight adapts, that the elements of the painting come to life: for example, a bird, a fish, a calabash, the eye of a mask…The artist draws the viewer into an intimate atmosphere, in which he solicits his/her personal reminiscences and memories. His works have been exhibited in Congo, Senegal (National Gallery of Dakar), Mauritania (French Cultural Center of Nouakchott), the United States (University of Brooklyn and Sedona), France (Aix-en-Provence and Paris), and in Portugal (Lisbon).