.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
.jpg?w=1)
Lot Essay
Julien Sinzogan draws inspiration from the history of Benin, its legacy of Yoruba spirituality and its position as a major centre for the transatlantic slave trade. A master draughtsman, his work is characterised by his use of pen and ink often on natural materials such as papyrus, burlap or tree bark.
Central to Sinzogan’s work is his exploration of Yoruba divinatory systems and its practice known as Ifá. He examines the journey between the physical realm (aye) and the spiritual realm (orun), and the slave trade’s violation of this sacred process. The work demonstrates a faith in the possibility of retransplanting or reinvigorating an ‘African soul’.
In Egun I, II and III we see the emergence of fantastical figures and forms. The word Egun in Yoruba refers to the collective spirit of all the ancestors in a person’s lineage. Indeed, it is typical in Yoruba culture for an individual to be able to accurately detail the lives of their ancestors often spanning back ten or more generations, such is the strength of the oral historical tradition. An Egun also refers to a member of the Yoruba people who performs a masquerade as an ancestor.
Born in Benin, Julien Sinzogan lived and worked in Paris for many years before recently returning to his home country. He studied architecture in Uzbekistan and Paris before turning to painting professionally. In 2006, he was commissioned to produce the monumental work Gates of Return to cover the twin portals in the atrium of the Victoria & Albert Museum. His work is held in the collections of the Newark Museum of Art, Newark, New Jersey; the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts, Stanford University; the Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam; and Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town, among others. He has featured in many notable museum shows including Africa Africans at Museu Afro Brasil, Sao Paolo. Julien Sinzogan is represented by October Gallery, London.
Central to Sinzogan’s work is his exploration of Yoruba divinatory systems and its practice known as Ifá. He examines the journey between the physical realm (aye) and the spiritual realm (orun), and the slave trade’s violation of this sacred process. The work demonstrates a faith in the possibility of retransplanting or reinvigorating an ‘African soul’.
In Egun I, II and III we see the emergence of fantastical figures and forms. The word Egun in Yoruba refers to the collective spirit of all the ancestors in a person’s lineage. Indeed, it is typical in Yoruba culture for an individual to be able to accurately detail the lives of their ancestors often spanning back ten or more generations, such is the strength of the oral historical tradition. An Egun also refers to a member of the Yoruba people who performs a masquerade as an ancestor.
Born in Benin, Julien Sinzogan lived and worked in Paris for many years before recently returning to his home country. He studied architecture in Uzbekistan and Paris before turning to painting professionally. In 2006, he was commissioned to produce the monumental work Gates of Return to cover the twin portals in the atrium of the Victoria & Albert Museum. His work is held in the collections of the Newark Museum of Art, Newark, New Jersey; the Iris & B. Gerald Cantor Center for Visual Arts, Stanford University; the Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam; and Zeitz MOCAA, Cape Town, among others. He has featured in many notable museum shows including Africa Africans at Museu Afro Brasil, Sao Paolo. Julien Sinzogan is represented by October Gallery, London.