LINGERING PRESENCE is a group exhibition showcasing works by Beverly D. Renekouzou and Ange Arthur Koua, presented by ARTCO Gallery Aachen. Reflecting on their shared vision about the lingering presence previous life can have in pieces of clothing, both Ange and Beverly make use of mixed mediums. Ange explores imagery and portraits with old pieces of fabric that he glues and stitches onto his canvas. In contrast to Beverly, who uses fabric and second hand clothing items as the canvas on which she paints. The show is on view from June 30 through July 29.
Ange Arthur Koua was born in 1989 in Abobo, Abidjan (Côte d’Ivoire) and graduated from the National School of Fine Arts of Abidjan in 2015. His artworks explore the idea that lived experiences take place in two worlds and are inspired by the belief, common in Côte d’Ivoire, that the souls of the deceased live on in your clothes. In his works, Koua deals with themes such as exploitation, injustice, freedom and the collective search for forms of just and peaceful coexistence.
His work has been shown in solo and group exhibitions in Côte d’Ivoire , Mali, Nigeria, Senegal, Germany and France, among other countries. In addition to his artistic work, Koua is frequently involved in educational and social projects in Africa and Europe, where he teaches pupils, students and migrants about the importance of art in our society and what it can achieve.
Beverly D. Renekouzou (born 1998 in Troyes) is a painter, performer, and artistic director, whose work is deeply rooted in her experiences of moving by different social classes and political contexts. She had explored life between France, Canada, the United Kingdom, Central African Republic, and Germany. Through an intersectionality lens, Beverly's large-scale paintings depict a lifelong process of healing, where Black women suspend time to reflect in a contemplative posture.
In the spirit of collecting and honoring old life memories, Renekouzou uses second-hand pieces of jeans as a means of expression, which carry individual stories, “an in-between presence of wisdom”.
Having performed internationally as a dancer and performance artist, her paintings have been shown in various group exhibitions in Berlin.
