Get to know the Artist Particorel and his artistic facets developed thought out his like while living in Benin. Explore all daily art news from the international art world.
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Kooness: Hello Patricorel, can you present us your artistic career and explain us your artist names?
Particorel: Hello, my name is Aureil Patrick Bessan, I am 33 years old, I live and work in Cotonou in Benin. I combined my two first names to create my artist's name. I have first made studies in art history, and it is after obtaining my degree that I decided to launch myself fully in the plastic creation and no longer in the study of art.
Kooness: How has your style evolved over the years?
Particorel: My first creative approach was based on the recycling of used bottles that I reused by inserting sculptures, adorning them with various accessories to give them a "human" form. I was reflecting on the concept of fragility (the container and our humanity). I exhibited these pieces in Benin and in France but in 2018 I decided to stop this approach to launch myself fully into painting. It began with an exhibition in the AF gallery in Lomé (Togo), for which I developed my first paintings in black and white.
Since now 2 years I incorporate the color changing sometimes my original frame of creation.
Kooness: Actually, how do you realize your works? And what do they represent?
Particorel: There are several stages in my work. I am generally inspired by current events and characters from everyday life. A work can start from a photo taken in the street, from a search on internet or even from a lecture.
I start by drawing with chalk, on a support generally black, the contours of my main subject. Then, with the help of the paint pen that I made myself, I destructure the characters through white lines Then, with the help of the paint pen that I made myself, I destructure the characters through white lines which represent our which represent our vital flows.
I thus denounce the racial problems of our world. My initial choice was to make works in black and white. My characters, deprived of skin colors, but just represented by their skeleton and their inner energy, are thus all equal.
However, I am now attracted by the color that I integrate gradually by small touches. My works are greatly inspired by the shortcomings of our society (the dependence
to social networks, the migration issue, racism, wars and their consequences, ...)
but I also like to represent peaceful and joyful moments of life.
Kooness: What is the best time of the day for your creation?
Particorel: I create a lot during the night because it's a quiet time when I feel peaceful. This allows me to prepare the structure of my works. I use the day to finish or rework I use the days to finalize or retouch the paintings while benefiting from natural light.
Kooness: What are your artistic influences?
Particorel: During my studies in art history, I was greatly influenced by the work of Jean Michel Basquiat. The strength and energy present in his paintings have deeply inspired me to create my own work. However, I continue my reflections to create my own artistic path.
Kooness: What are your wishes for the future?
Particorel: I have already had the pleasure of collaborating with different galleries in Benin and Togo since 2019 I have been working with the Agama gallery in Toulouse which has organized for me a solo exhibition in 2022 crowned with success.
I was able to have a small article in Beaux Arts magazine. I have also collaborated and created a work for the Nigerian artist Mr Eazy, another enriching experience.
The year 2023 looks exciting with several projects in sight including an artistic residency in France and a new exhibition with the Agama gallery. Now, I dream of growing as an artist to be able to present my work on all the continents, to multiply the exhibitions and the meetings and to keep going in my creation
Kooness: Finally, what do you think of the Beninese art scene?
The world of plastic art was a bit dormant in Benin. Only a few elders managed to impose themselves on the international scene. These last years have begun to witness an awakening. Young artists by their works began to assert themselves as well as inside the country as on the international level. Especially with the involvement of the Beninese government in fine arts, we are witnessing a new revolution. Many galleries were born and many festivals were created too. With this new atmosphere, I think that Beninese Art has the wind in its sails and will be able to go around the world.
Cover image: Série "Possession". Oil and acrylic paint on canvas stretched over a wooden frame. 21 x 30 cm, 2021
Written by Kooness
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