Hervé Youmbi
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Hervé Youmbi | |
|---|---|
 Hervé Youmbi | |
| Born | March 25, 1973 (49) |
| Education | Institut de Formation Artistique (IFA), Mbalmayo (1993 – 1996) |
| Alma mater | Ecole Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs (ESAD) Strasbourg (2000 – 2001) |
| Known for | Sculpture, installation art, mixed media, screenprinting |
Hervé Gabriel Ngamago Youmbi is a Cameroonian artist who lives and works in Douala. He is a founding member of the Cercle Kapsiki, a collective of five Cameroonian artists, founded in 1998.[1]
Hervé Youmbi was born in Bangui, Central African Republic on March 25, 1973.[2][3] He earned a diploma from the Institut de Formation Artistique (IFA) in Mbalmayo, Cameroon, and later studied at the École Supérieure des Arts Décoratifs de Strasbourg (France) from October 2000 to June 2001.[4] He teaches art in several towns in Cameroon, at the art institutes of Nkongsamba and Foumban, and in the art academies and universities of Douala and Dschang.[5]
Work
Portraiture forms the foundation of Youmbi’s artistic practice. By closely examining the human body within urban environments, he reflects on the cities he inhabits, the places he has traveled through, and those he aspires to understand more deeply. These themes evoke respect for his engagement with African history and politics, encouraging viewers to connect with his exploration of societal issues. In 2010, Youmbi addressed the effects of global capitalism on contemporary African art through the multimedia installation Ces totems qui hantent la mémoire des fils de Mamadou (These Totems That Haunt the Memory of the Sons of Mamadou). His 2012 photographic triptych, Au nom du père, du fils et de la sainte monarchie constitutionnelle (In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Constitutional Monarchy), explores violence and popular uprisings against dictatorial regimes in Africa. The installation Visages de Masques, presented at Bandjoun Station in Cameroon, examines how colonization and globalization have influenced the production of ritual masks. Historical inquiry remains central to his practice, as seen in works such as Cameroonian Heroes, presented at SUD 2007 in Douala, which honors early resistance to German colonization.
Listed works
Awards and recognitions
Hervé Youmbi received the Culturesfrance scholarship awarding him an artist visa in 2009, and the Smithsonian Artist Research Fellowship 2012 from the Smithsonian in Washington DC, USA. His works are in some leading collections, such as the World Bank and the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in Washington. In 2020, one of his pieces was acquired by the Royal Ontario Museum in Canada.[9]
