African Stories - An Art Exhibition

Aude Minart, proprietor of the itinerant gallery La Galerie Africaine, has kicked off 2017 with a fantastic showing of contemporary African art at Mu-Gallery in the 9th arrondissement.

Mu-Gallery façade
© Discover Paris!
The exhibition, called Récits d'Afrique (African Stories), features the work of Wolé Lagunju, Gonçalo Mabunda, and Lea Lund and Erik K.

Récits d'Afrique invitation cards
© Discover Paris!
Wolé Lagunju marries Yoruba ceremony with the regalia of European royalty by coupling Gelede masks with fashions from the Dutch Golden Age and England's Elizabethan Era. Using the tradition of portraiture, he redefines the mask as an object in constant evolution and in dialogue with contemporary times.

Study of a Coiffure Doll
Wolé Lagunju
2016 Oil on canvas
© Discover Paris!

Ingenue (left) and Belle (right)
Wolé Lagunju
2016 Oil on canvas (both works)
© Discover Paris!
Lagunju hails from Nigeria and currently lives in North Carolina.

Gonçalo Mabunda is a Mozambican artist who grew up during his country's brutal, 15-year civil war. He learned to solder and to work with bronze and other metals at the atelier of a South African artist. Returning to Mozambique, he used these techniques to create works for the "Arms into Art" project. He fashions thrones from bullets, guns, artillery, and other weapons, inciting the viewer to reflect on the means through which leaders obtain and retain power.

Throne
Gonçalo Mabunda
Arms and munitions
© Discover Paris!
Mabunda currently resides in Mozambique. His work was displayed at the Venise Biennial in 2015. One of his thrones has a place in the permanent collection at the Centre Pompidou in Paris.

The works that most captured my attention at this exhibition are the photographs created by Lea Lund and Erik K.

Erik K. and Lea Lund
© Discover Paris!
Swiss-born Lea Lund and Zaire-born Erik K. (né Erik Kongolo-Mabika) met in Lausanne in July 2011. Both are visual arts - Lund is a photographer, painter, sculptor and graphic artist and K. is an engraver and designer.

The first time she met K., Lund says she asked him to allow her to photograph him. She says they have been inseparable ever since.

The photographs in African Stories feature K. in various stances and stages of movement against a backdrop of magnificent architectural structures in cities throughout Europe. He is always impeccably dressed in the style that he has cultivated from a very young age. (K. designed the hat that he wears in the photos.)

Erik, Eglise de la Madeleine, Paris, September 2015
© Lea Lund & Erik K.
Image by Discover Paris!
This photograph of Erik at the Tiger and Turtle - Magic Mountain in Duisburg, Germany hangs in the window of the gallery. It faces the street so passersby can admire it.

Erik, Duisburg, Germany, June 2015
© Lea Lund & Erik K.
Occasionally, Lund selects natural environments as the setting for these photos. She retouches them by hand, giving them a weathered, vintage look.

Erik, Coney Island, NY 2014
© Lea Lund & Erik K.
Image by Discover Paris!

Erik, Saint-Tropez, 2014
© Lea Lund & Erik K.
Image by Discover Paris!
From haunting and riveting to whimsical and fanciful, these works will not fail to intrigue.

Lund and K. divide their time between Paris and Lausanne. They anticipate opening a studio in Paris' 11th arrondissement in 2017.

Originally scheduled to close on January 29, African Stories has been extended until Wednesday, February 1.

Entry is free.

Mu Gallery
53 rue Blanche
75009 Paris
Metro: Blanche (Line 2)
Telephone for Aude Minart: 06 60 24 06 26
Hours: Monday through Saturday, 12 noon to 7 PM; Sundays by appointment

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African Revival - Art in the Marais

There's still a week left to stop by the African Revival art show in the Marais!

Aude Minart, owner of the itinerant gallery called La Galerie Africaine, has mounted a show in an intimate space on rue du Pont Louis-Philippe between the Seine and rue de Rivoli.

African Revival exposition - La Galerie Africaine
© Discover Paris!
Called African Revival, it features paintings by Cape Verdean artist Nelson Gomes Teixeira,

Coloured Caras by Teixeira and various sculptures
© Discover Paris!
contemporary sculptures in wood by Franco-Beninese artist Niko,

A pair of sculptures (oak) by Niko
© Discover Paris!
and classic African sculptures and masks.

Baoulé sculpture with red patina
© Discover Paris!

Yaouré mask
© Discover Paris!
Nelson Gomes Teixeira left Cape Verde at the age of three and grew up in Lisbon, Portugal. He has lived in Paris for many years, where he has a studio in the 12th arrondissement. He works with inks, pastels, charcoal, acrylics and oils to create his paintings, and often uses raw or recycled materials.

Mythe by Teixeira
© Discover Paris!

Zoom by Teixeira
© Discover Paris!
This is the first time that La Galerie Africaine has featured his work.

In contrast, the gallery has often featured works by Niko.

Aude welcomes you to enjoy a cocktail and experience the works of these and other artists "up close and personal" on Tuesday, April 28th from 6 PM to 10 PM. The exhibition closes on April 30, 2015.

La Galerie Africaine
African Revival
19, rue du Pont Louis-Philippe
75004 Paris
Metro: Hôtel de Ville (Lines 1 and 11), Saint-Paul (Line 1), Pont Marie (Line 7)

For additional information, contact Aude by phone at 06.60.24.06.26 or by e-mail at .

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Art and Food Pairing™: La Galerie Africaine and Chez Fifi - Miss-Yolo

Aude Minart and La Galerie Africaine have kicked off 2015 with an intimate and powerful exhibition of African art called A Nous L'Afrique. It is being shown at Mu Gallery in Paris' 9th arrondissement. Tom and I attended a reception for the show a few days ago.

A Nous l'Afrique flier (left) and Aude Minart (right)
© Discover Paris!

Mu Gallery
© Discover Paris!
This corner of the 9th was known as Black Montmartre in the early to mid-20th century, and the gallery is only a block away from the former location of Florence Embry Jones' famous nightspot, Chez Florence.

The exhibition features works by one of Aude's preferred painters, Senegal's Camara Gueye.

l'Oiseau rouge
Camara Gueye
2004 media
© Discover Paris!

La jeune fille en rouge
Camara Gueye
2008 media
© Discover Paris!
Exquisite traditional and contemporary sculptures, artisanal fabrics and masks, and fine crafts are also part of the show.

A Nous l'Afrique - paintings and sculptures
© Discover Paris!

A Nous l'Afrique - masks and fabric
© Discover Paris!

A Nous l'Afrique - crafts and fabrics
© Discover Paris!
A Nous l'Afrique closes on January 31, 2015. If you're in Paris, it's worth taking the time to see it!

Mu Gallery
53, rue Blanche
75009 Paris
Metro: Place de Clichy (Lines 2 and 13), Blanche (Line 2)
Hours: Monday through Saturday from 12 noon to 8 PM

About a 10-minute walk from Mu Gallery is an African restaurant called Chez Fifi-Miss-Yolo. It used to operate under the name Au Braisé d'Or, but is now under new management.

After a lovely time at the gallery, Tom and I walked over to the restaurant for dinner. The sign with the new name has yet to be installed on the façade.

The dining room at Chez Fifi is large and modestly decorated. A red carpet extends from the doorway to guide you to tables located next to the front window, along the right wall, and at the rear of the restaurant. Maize-colored walls are accentuated with brown molding and African-themed appliqués. Large tables covered with brightly pattered cloths are flanked by brown vinyl benches. Curtains are made from the same cloth that covers the tables.

Dining room at Chez Fifi-Miss-Yolo
© Discover Paris!
There was a problem in the kitchen that evening and several dishes listed on the menu were not available. But we were both happy with the dish we selected, which was a Congolese preparation called Ngolo-liboké. Catfish is one of the very few fishes that I eat and I'm pleased to report that this home-style rendition of it was excellent!

Our server was careful to explain that we could have the fish cooked one of two ways - braised or cooked in banana leaves (liboké). We chose the braised version and were served an entire fish with the head still attached. The flesh was tender, meaty, slightly smoky, and incredibly flavorful. A simple lettuce and tomato salad dressed in thick vinaigrette was served on the plate as well. There was no other garnish.

As accompaniments, Tom ordered kwanga (manioc) and I ordered aloko (fried plantains). A generous portion of each was served in a separate dish alongside. The plantains were firm and slightly sweet, while the manioc was spongy and slightly sour.

Braised catfish, kwanga (left), and aloko (right)
© Discover Paris!
The waitress placed the obligatory condiments - lemon juice (reconstituted), Maggi seasoning sauce, and home-made pepper sauce - on the table, but the fish was so well seasoned that we didn't need to use any of them.

Condiments
© Discover Paris!
I had hoped to order bissap (hibiscus juice) or ginger juice as a beverage, but neither was listed on the menu. So I ordered a lightly carbonated, fruit-flavored Cameroonian soft drink called D'jino instead. Tom ordered a Guinness Extra Fort stout, a brew that is dark and strong (7.5% alcohol).

D'jino and Guinness
© Discover Paris!
Even without ordering a first course, the fish, salad, and sides were too much to finish!

Our servers were quite accommodating and took all the time we needed to explain what was offered on the menu. Just as we were noting that our meal was taking longer than anticipated to arrive at the table, one of the servers came out and apologized for the inconvenience. She said that it would not be too much longer before we'd be served, and our food was delivered to us less than ten minutes later.

Chez Fifi-Miss-Yolo is in a lively area of Paris, just north of Place de Clichy. It is by no means upscale, but it is clean and the food will remind you of what you'd get from your mother's or grandmother's kitchen. We plan to try this restaurant again to see how things unfold here.

Chez Fifi-Miss-Yolo
3, rue Capron
75018 Paris
Metro: Place de Clichy (Lines 2 and 13)
Hours: Every day from 12 noon to 2 AM

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Art and Food Pairing™: La Galerie Africaine and La Kaz

La Galerie Africaine, the itinerant art gallery owned by Aude Minart, has returned to the Cloître des Billettes in the 4th arrondissement for yet another marvelous show!

Ubuntu features the works of painter Patrick Nupert (Guadeloupe) and sculptor Niko (France-Benin). The name of the show is inspired by the word that South African Archbisihop Desmond Tutu is credited with making known to the West. President Barack Obama referenced ubuntu in his tribute to Nelson Mandela at Mandela's memorial service:

There is a word in South Africa -- Ubuntu -- a word that captures Mandela’s greatest gift: his recognition that we are all bound together in ways that are invisible to the eye; that there is a oneness to humanity; that we achieve ourselves by sharing ourselves with others, and caring for those around us.

Patrick Nupert's paintings have been displayed at numerous group and private shows throughout France and in Belgium since 2006. Minart chose his work entitled "L'Ebouriffée" for the flier that promotes the exposition.

She has selected fourteen of the artist's paintings to display on the walls of the cloister.

Cloister corridor
© Discover Paris!

Black Code from the Ground
Patrick Nupert
2013 Mixed media on wood
© Discover Paris!
Niko is one of Minart's favored sculptors. His towering carvings fill the courtyard of the cloister and punctuate two of the corridors as well. His work will be presented at the prestigious Dakar Biennial show in May 2014.

Sculptures by Niko
© Discover Paris!

Le Dormeur
Niko
2011 Walnut wood
© Discover Paris!
Ubuntu runs through Wednesday, 5 March 2014. Visit the show on Saturdays from 12 noon to 2 PM and have a glass of wine and snacks as you view the works! For more information, contact Aude Minart by e-mail at audeminart[at]hotmail[dot]com.

Just a 15-minute walk from the cloister is a wonderful little Caribbean fast-food establishment called La Kaz. Tom and I went there to have lunch after visiting the Ubuntu exposition.

La Kaz
© Discover Paris!
As we had no experience with the cuisine, we needed explanations for just about everything! A friendly server showed us the three types of bread that we could choose for our sandwiches and happily explained the menu in its entirety. We learned that the sandwiches take their names from the type of bread selected.

Tom ordered an agoulou complèt, which consisted of a ground beef patty, a fried egg, bacon, ham, and cheese on a huge round of agoulou - a brioche-like bread that is grilled on top. You can think of this rendition as a large Caribbean hamburger - even bigger than a Burger King Whopper!

Agoulou, coconut water, and coconut cake
© Discover Paris!
He selected a can of green coconut water as a beverage and a serving of coconut layer cake for dessert.

I went for a bokit légumes grillées - chopped, grilled eggplant, red and green bell pepper, onion, and zucchini - served in a pita-like bread called bokit. For my beverage, I selected fresh jus de prune de Cythère (ambarellas juice). I had never heard of ambarellas before and decided to try this juice as opposed to the guava and passion fruit juices that were also available. I was happy that I did!

Bokit, prune de Cythère juice, banana turnover
© Discover Paris!
I chose a banana turnover for my dessert. The pastry was flaky and tender and the filling (surprisingly red in color) was tasty, though there was not enough of it in my opinion.

Everything was fresh and flavorful and Tom and I definitely plan to return. One of the things that we'll try next time is the side order of sweet potato fries!

Cloître des Billettes
24, rue des Archives
75004 Paris
Metro: Hôtel de Ville (Lines 1, 11)
Weekdays and Saturdays: 12 PM to 7 PM
Sunday: 2 PM to 6 PM

La Kaz
20, rue des Halles
75001 Paris
Tel.: 09.50.04.98.14
Mon to Thurs noon - 10:00 p.m. Fri to Sat noon - midnight
Métro: Châtelet (Lines 1, 4, 7, 11, 14), Châtelet Les Halles (RER A, B, D)

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Africa Unmasked Features Senegalese Artist Ndoye Dout's

On the heels of the beautiful show that she mounted at the Cloître des Billettes in March, Aude Minart has mounted a new African art exposition called Africa Unmasked on the Left Bank. The venue is the Mailletz Gallery across from the Saint Severin church and the featured artist is Mohamadou Ndoye Dout's.

Mohamadou Ndoye Dout's
© Discover Paris!
I briefly encounted Dout's last Tuesday at the vernissage for the show. Though he lives in Pierrefitte, a northern suburb of Paris, his work focuses on the urban landscape of Dakar, Senegal.

All the works displayed are mixed media. Dout's created them in 2012.

Jeux d'enfants
2012 Dout's
© Discover Paris!
Chaleur
2012 Dout's
© Discover Paris!
Additionally, sculptures of bronze and recycled metal by Ouransa Traoré (Burkina Faso),

Bronze works by Ouransa Traoré
© Discover Paris!
numerous additional bronze works, wood masks and carvings, and decorative items

Baoulé masks and paintings by Dout's
© Discover Paris!

Africa Unmasked: paintings, sculptures, and decorative items
© Discover Paris!

Africa Unmasked: painting under glass
© Discover Paris!

are part of this show.

Africa Unmasked runs until May 5, 2013. Aude Minart welcomes the public for a complimentary apéritif on Tuesdays from 6 to 7 PM throughout the show. Stop by to enjoy the works!

Africa Unmasked vernissage
© Discover Paris!

Galerie Mailletz
17 rue du Petit Pont
75005 Paris
Metro: Saint Michel, Cité (Line 4), Cluny La Sorbonne (Line 10)
RER: Saint Michel-Notre Dame, lines B and C)
Weekdays and Saturdays: 12 noon to 7 PM

For information about the works and the artists, contact Aude Minart by e-mail at audeminart[at]hotmail[dot]com or by phone at 06 60 24 06 26.

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Africa Unlimited at the Cloître des Billettes

Nomadic galeriste Aude Minart has once again mounted a spectacular exposition of African and African Diaspora art at the Cloître des Billettes. This one is called Africa Unlimited.

Guadeloupan artist Marie B’s Tango greets visitors at the entrance to the cloister, while her Totems duo stands against the southern wall. She is the only artist from the Americas whose work is represented. The other artists come from this side of the Atlantic.

Africa Unlimited – View from Entryway
© Discover Paris!
Totems (detail)
Marie B
© Discover Paris!
Wooden sculptures by Niko (France-Benin) once again dominate the open air patio of this medieval cloister,

Sculptures by Niko
© Discover Paris!
while bronze sculptures made using the lost wax casting technique are a prominent component of the smaller pieces displayed throughout the ambulatory.

Bronze sculpture (lost wax casting technique)
Hippolyte Congo – Burkina Faso
© Discover Paris!
By far, the most fascinating and colorful works in this exposition are the paintings and palettes created by Sudan’s Islam Zian-Alabdeen.

Islam Zian-Alabdeen with two of his paintings
© Discover Paris!
The works are incredibly intricate. All include images of and inspiration drawn from women, which I found to be an interesting coincidence since this exposition is being shown during Women’s History Month. Indeed, Zian-Alabdeen is deeply inspired by the persona of his mother, a person who he describes as being the ever-present nurturer, surveyor, and disciplinarian (indirectly through his father) of the family.

Vie de Femme (Woman’s Life)
Islam Zian-Alabdeen
© Discover Paris!
Palette by Islam Zian-Alabdeen
© Discover Paris!
Zian-Alabdeen also uses the symbolism of animals to weave narratives through his art. The fish symbolizes continuity and movement; the cat, love… His representations of everyday activities are bolstered by the power of ancient legends and customs of Nubia and each one has the ability to mesmerize those who gaze upon it.

Visitors to the exposition were intrigued by the works and generally enjoyed themselves.

Millie Cherfils, her child, and Tracye Matthews
© Discover Paris!
Visitors in west corridor of ambulatory
© Discover Paris!
Engrossed in art
© Discover Paris!
Africa Unlimited runs through Easter Sunday, March 31.

Cloître des Billettes
24, rue des Archives
75004 Paris
Metro: Hôtel de Ville (Lines 1, 11)
Weekdays and Saturdays: 11 AM to 7 PM
Sunday: 2 PM to 6 PM


Visit our Pinterest page to see more images of the works shown at this exposition. For information about the works and the artists, contact Aude Minart by e-mail at audeminart[at]hotmail[dot]com.

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