Owanto

**Owanto** (dem born am for 13th December, 1953 insyd Paris) be a British Gabonese artist.  
## Biography
Na dem born Owanto for 13 December 1953 insyd Paris, wey she spend ein adolescence insyd Libreville, Gabon, wer she spend ein formative years, later she move go Madrid wey she study for de Institut Catholic de Paris.

Insyd 2009, Owanto represent de Republic of Gabon at de 53rd Venice Biennale plus ein piece *The Lighthouse of Memory/ Go Nogé Mènè*, curate by Fernando Francès, wey ebe de first Central African artist make she exhibit solo insyd a National Pavilion. Owanto state say na de piece be inspired by an artistic proposal she bell “*Où Allons Nous*?” *(Wer We Dey Go?).* Owanto sanso state say; "*Gabon was looking for new directions, as was the rest of the world - new systems, new models of society, new ways of seeing*.”
## Work
Owanto ein work focus for chaw themes, wey dey include consciousness, memory, cross-cultural existential dialogues, among odas. Owanto ein current projects dey focus for women dema liberation, resilience, healing, den transformation.

Owanto ein art dey enter into pop, conceptual den minimal genres insyd both ein statuary work den odas.
## Accolades
Owanto win de Mbokodo Award insyd 2020. “De awards honor women wey strengthen communities den individuals thru dema art.”
## Exhibitions
2009: “The Lighthouse of Memory/ Go Nogé Mènè” *Venice Biennale,* Venice, Italy

2011: "El Faro de la Memoria" *Galería Maior*, Vigo, Spain

2012: "Où Allons Nous?" *Voice Gallery*, Marrakech, Morocco

2013: "Protect" *Jardins de Saint Martin*, Monaco

2014: "Here, Now." *Biennale de Marrakech*, Marrakech, Morocco

2015: Owanto " L'Atelier de l'artiste" *Art Marbella, Galeria Yusto-Giner,* Marbella, Spain

2016: "Flowers" *Conseil National*, Monaco

2018: "Dance with Me" *African Artists Foundation*, Lagos, Nigeria

2018: "Flowers" *Voice Gallery*, Marrakech, Morocco

2019: "One Thousand Voices" *Museo d'Arte Contemporanea Donnaregina (MADRE)*, Naples, Italy

2019: "One Thousand Voices" *Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Z-MOCAA)*, Cape Town, South Africa

2020: "Flowers" *Sakhile&Me*, Frankfurt, Germany

2020: "La Bible de ma Mère" *LagosPhoto20*, Online Home Museum
### Group Exhibits
2016: "Made in Spain. Periplo por el arte español de hoy" *MAD Antequera*, Málaga, Spain

2016: "Beauty" *Centro de Exposiciones de Benalmádena*, Benalmádena, Spain; *MAD Antequera*, Málaga, Spain

2016: "Group Presentation" *1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair London (Voice Gallery)*, London, UK

2017: "All Things Being Equal..." *Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art Africa (Z-MOCAA)*, Cape Town, South Africa

2017: "Group Presentation" *1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair London (Voice Gallery)*, London, UK

2017: "Group Presentation" *Also Known As Africa Art Fair (AKAAAF)*, Paris, France

2017: "Group Presentation" *LagosPhoto*, Lagos, Nigeria

2018: "Group Presentation" *1:54 Contemporary African Art Fair London (Voice Gallery)*, London, UK

2018: "Our Anthropocene: Eco Crises" *The Center for Book Arts*, New York City, USA

2019: "Material Insanity" *Museum of African Contemporary Art Al Maaden (MACAAL)*, Marrakech, Morocco

2020: "Group Show" *1-54 Contemporary African Art Fair (Sakhile&Me)*, London, UK

## References


## Sources

* Thelma Mort (2020): Getting out of forgotten: The disruptive vision of Owanto, Agenda, DOI: 10.1080/10130950.2020.1833512  
* Berrada, Meriem; Dieudji, Janine G.; Diagne, Souleymane B. and Zineb A. Arraki. 2019. *Material Insanity*. Casablanca, Morocco: Somadi. .
* DeSouza, Allan; Milbourne, Karen; Mutu, Wangechi; Osodi, George and Clive van den Berg. 2013. *Earth Matters: Land as Material and Metaphor in the Arts of Africa*. New York, USA: Monacelli Press. .
* Frances, Fernando. 2009. *Owanto: The Lighthouse of Memory - Go Nogé Mènè*. Imola, Italy: Maretti Editore. .
* Sherman, Louise. 2002. *Owanto*. Barcelona, Spain: Polígrafa. .
* "Owanto: A Thousand Voices, But Two Thousand Feet" by Valentine Umansky, ART AFRICA, July 2020
* "Owanto: 30 years of militantisme en faveur de l'émancipation de la femme" by Stevie Mounombou, Gabonreview, July 2020
* "Owanto: An artist who asks you to look and reflect" by Emilie Gambade, Daily Maverick, July 2020
* "Something Terrible Happened To Me When I Was Seven", ELLE, February 2019
* "Le dire avec des fleurs", Diptyk n ° 47, February-March 2019
* "Fleurs guérisseuses et voix briseuses de silences", Afrique in visu, February 2019
* "Les Fleurs du Bien", ELLE, February 2018
* "Fleurs et Blessures - Entretien avec Owanto", IAM (Intense Art Magazine), January 2018
* "Owanto's Flower Series", AFRICANAH, December 2017
* "The Forgotten Drawer," ART AFRICA, December 2017
* Fernando Francés, Owanto The Lighthouse of Memory Go Nogé Mènè, Christian Maretti Editore, 2009, pp 12–13.

## External links

* Owanto Berger at Zeitmocaa
* https://web.archive.org/web/20210128192635/https://www.1-54.com/london/artists/owanto/