Calixte Dakpogan (born 1958) is a

Benin Benin ( , ; french: Bénin , ff, Benen), officially the Republic of Benin (french: République du Bénin), and formerly Dahomey, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east, Burkina Faso to the nort ...

ese

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable ...

known for his installations as well as his masks made out of diverse and original found materials. A native of Pahou, he currently lives and works in

Porto Novo Porto-Novo (Portuguese: "New Port", , ; yo, Àjàṣẹ́, ), also known as Hogbonu and Ajashe, is the capital of Benin. The commune covers an area of and as of 2002 had a population of 223,552 people. Situated on an inlet of the Gulf of Gu ...

. Much of his work is inspired by his

Voudon Vodun (meaning ''spirit'' in the Fon, Gun and Ewe languages, with a nasal high-tone ''u''; also spelled Vodon, Vodoun, Vodou, Vudu, Voudou, Voodoo, etc.) is a religion practiced by the Aja, Ewe, and Fon peoples of Benin, Togo, Ghana, and N ...

heritage. Dakpogan's work was exhibited at the "Ouidah '92" festival, which celebrated

Vodun art Vodun art is associated with the West African Vodun religion of Nigeria, Benin, Togo and Ghana. The term is sometimes used more generally for art associated with related religions of West and Central Africa and of the African diaspora in Brazil, ...

from Benin and the African Diaspora in

Ouidah Ouidah () or Whydah (; ''Ouidah'', ''Juida'', and ''Juda'' by the French; ''Ajudá'' by the Portuguese; and ''Fida'' by the Dutch) and known locally as Glexwe, formerly the chief port of the Kingdom of Whydah, is a city on the coast of the Repub ...

, Benin in February 1993. Many of his masks are part of

The Contemporary African Art Collection (CAAC) The Contemporary African Art Collection (CAAC) is a private collection created in 1989 by Jean Pigozzi, an Italian businessman. As of May 2022, the collection was based in Geneva, Switzerland, but it "does not have a permanent exhibition venue". ...

Jean Pigozzi Jean "Johnny" Pigozzi (born 1952), heir to the CEO of the automobile brand Simca, is an art collector, photographer, fashion designer and . He lives in Geneva. Biography Pigozzi is a "French-born Italian". He was born in Paris in 1952 and i ...

and are exhibited in major group shows in museums around the world.

Group exhibitions

*2000: ''Rendering Visible : Contemporary Art from the Republic of Benin'',

October Gallery The October Gallery is an art gallery in central London, established in 1979.October Gallery Sète Sète (; oc, Seta, ), also historically spelt ''Cette'' (official until 1928) and ''Sette'', is a commune in the Hérault department, in the region of Occitania, southern France. Its inhabitants are called ''Sétois'' (male) and ''Sétoises ...

, France *2005: ''African Art Now : Masterpieces from the

Collection'',

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH), is an art museum located in the Houston Museum District of Houston, Texas. With the recent completion of an eight-year campus redevelopment project, including the opening of the Nancy and Rich Kinder Bui ...

, USA *2005: ''Arts of Africa'',

Grimaldi Forum The Grimaldi Forum in Monaco is a conference and congress centre located on the seafront of Monaco's eastern beach quartier, Larvotto. Les Ballets de Monte-Carlo and the Monte-Carlo Philharmonic Orchestra regularly perform there. This is also ...

, Monaco, France *2006/2007: ''100% Africa'',

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao The Guggenheim Museum Bilbao is a museum of modern and contemporary art designed by Canadian-American architect Frank Gehry, and located in Bilbao, Basque Country, Spain. The museum was inaugurated on 18 October 1997 by King Juan Carlos I of Spa ...

, Spain *2007: ''Masques rituels et contemporains'', Fondation Jean Paul Blachère,

Apt Apt. is an abbreviation for apartment. Apt may also refer to: Places * Apt Cathedral, a former cathedral, and national monument of France, in the town of Apt in Provence * Apt, Vaucluse, a commune of the Vaucluse département of France * A ...

, France *2007/2008: ''Why Africa?'', Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli,

Turin Turin ( , Piedmontese: ; it, Torino ) is a city and an important business and cultural centre in Northern Italy. It is the capital city of Piedmont and of the Metropolitan City of Turin, and was the first Italian capital from 1861 to 1865. Th ...

, Italy *2010: ''African Stories'', Marrakech Art Fair, Marrakech

Bibliography

*1994: Otro pais: escalas africanas, Exhibition catalogue. *1992: Dakar Biennale (1). Dak’Art 92, Exhibition catalogue *1995: Africus : Johannesburg Biennale, 1995 Exhibition catalogue. *1996: Contemporary Art of Africa, André Magnin and Jacques Soulillou *1997: Lumière Noire : Art Contemporain, Exhibition catalogue. *1998: Bénin-Bénin, Gisteren-Tussen-Morgen. Exhibition catalogue. Fritz Bless et al. *2000: Forjar el Espacio : La Escultura Forjada en el siglo XX, Exhibition catalogue. *2000: Lyon Biennale d’Art Contemporain, (5) Partage d’Exotismes, Exhibition catalogue. *2001: Rendering Visible : Contemporary Art from the Republic of Benin, Exhibition catalogue. Published by The October Gallery. *2005: African Art Now: Masterpieces from the Jean Pigozzi Collection, Exhibition catalogue. Published by Merrell. *2006: 100% Africa, Exhibition catalogue. Published by TF Editores & FMGB Guggenheim Bilbao Museum. *2007: Why Africa?, Exhibition catalogue. Published by Electa & Pinacoteca Giovanni e Marella Agnelli.

References

Biography from the National Museum of African Art
1958 births Living people 20th-century Beninese sculptors Male sculptors Voodoo artists 21st-century sculptors 20th-century male artists 21st-century male artists People from Atlantique Department People from Porto-Novo Installation artists {{africa-sculptor-stub