Marc Padeu – Acrylic Memories From Cameroon – Moments Of Christian Life In Africa
Baptism is always a transformation of a person. Submitting your life to God and submitting your body to the power of water. For Cameroonian artist Marc Padeu the baptism is a dramaturgy that is created by participants and observers alike. Baptism for Padeu is a manifestation of collective faith.
Growing up in the Cameroonian coastal region of Melong, Mark often attended church congregations during religious ceremonies and was immediately introduced to the majesty of the religious imagery that adorned the walls of his childhood home.
In his work, Mark Padeu seeks to explore the prevalence of religion in families across Africa.
Relationships with the church, worship on Sundays, all ceremonies including baptisms, religious images in family living rooms – all this shows how strong the church’s influence is in the country.
“Drawing was always present in my childhood and adult life, but after graduating from high school I had a period of hesitation because I could not find a course that interested me among the offerings of traditional universities in Cameroon,” Mark Padeu.
In 2009, the first art schools began to open in the country, Mark entered one of them, and today he proudly calls himself one of the first graduates of the Faculty of Arts in Cameroon.
His work “The Baptism of Roxanne” (below) was the culmination of memories of his life in Cameroon.
As the artist himself explains, sharing on Instagram about his solo exhibition in London, his paintings always begin with an idea, a moment in time, a core memory. He loves going back to his childhood to get inspiration for his work.
Italian masters and the work on the frescoes that he created for churches in Nkongsamba during his student years also influenced the symbolic realism of his large sized works.
