Owanto

  • Where are we going? NYC, (ed.3), 2009, C-print on canvas, 160 x 124,5 cm.

    Where are we going? NYC, (ed.3), 2009, C-print on canvas, 160 x 124,5 cm.

  • Where are we going? Tokyo, (ed.3), 2009, C-print on canvas, 160 x 106 cm.

    Where are we going? Tokyo, (ed.3), 2009, C-print on canvas, 160 x 106 cm.

  • Where are we going? Africa 3, (ed.3), 2009, C-print on canvas, 106 x 160 cm.

    Where are we going? Africa 3, (ed.3), 2009, C-print on canvas, 106 x 160 cm.

  • Standing Father and Child, (ed.3), 2008, light box, 107 x 77 x 15 cm.

    Standing Father and Child, (ed.3), 2008, light box, 107 x 77 x 15 cm.

  • Reclining Mother and Children, (ed.3), 2009, light box, 100 x 142 x 14 cm.

    Reclining Mother and Children, (ed.3), 2009, light box, 100 x 142 x 14 cm.

  • Charco Child, (ed.3), 2008, light box, 96 x 96 x 15 cm.

    Charco Child, (ed.3), 2008, light box, 96 x 96 x 15 cm.

The body of work by Owanto (Paris, France, 1953) gathers the spirit and vitality of woman as the centre of nature and time, a lost poem, the ingenuity and utopia of a dream, because just like Luther King, she also has a dream. She builds images that question eternal doubts, and maybe therefore seem unnecessary or characteristic of a youth that is still learning. Where are we going? Asks the artist. Maybe that royal we suggests that point of good and naïve intentions, but at the same time it is evident that Owanto places on the table clear and risky answers that are of universal dimension, and therefore we discover the result of deep internal reflections, of the evidence of human values that can be used to build a more charitable and therefore better world.


British-Gabonese artist.

Owanto grew up in Gabon, where she spent her formative years, and eventually moved to Europe. The artist uses a multidisciplinary approach in her creative process and works across a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, photography, video, installation and performance.
 
Owanto had the honour of representing the Republic of Gabon at the 53. International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale in 2009, with a solo show in Gabon’s first National Pavilion at such a prestigious cultural event. The artist continues to exhibit internationally today. Her works can be found in private and public collections around the world.