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Cameroonian artists

16 artists

Cameroon's grassfields kingdoms — Bamum, Bamileke and others — produced some of Africa's most spectacular court art: beaded thrones and figures, elephant masks, carved house posts and the brass work of Foumban. Modern Cameroonian art grew up largely outside formal schools, through workshops and art centres such as the one Nzante Spee founded in Bamenda, and through studio photographers like Jacques Toussele, who photographed the people of Mbouda for decades.

Today Cameroonian artists are prominent worldwide. Samuel Fosso made his name with self-portraits taken in his Bangui studio; Barthélémy Toguo works across painting, sculpture and installation and founded the Bandjoun Station art centre; Pascale Marthine Tayou builds exuberant installations from everyday objects; Angèle Etoundi Essamba photographs African women. Joseph-Francis Sumégné, Goddy Leye and Hervé Yamguen are other names on this list of Cameroon's artists with Wikipedia articles, most looked-up first. See also Central Africa.

Profiles

Painter

Nzante Spee

Cameroon · 1953–2005

Nzante Spee painted dreamlike, crowded scenes mixing cubism, surrealism and caricature, and founded a Bamenda art centre that trained a generation of painters.

Photographer

Samuel Fosso

Nigeria · Cameroon · 1962–

Samuel Fosso opened a studio in Bangui at thirteen and has photographed himself in costume ever since, from 1970s pop-star poses to his African Spirits.

More artists

Most looked-up first. Names link to our profile, or to Wikipedia where we do not have one yet. Short descriptions from Wikidata; portraits from Wikimedia Commons. Image credits