- Title: Togolese artist ponders Trump presidency.
- Date: 19th January 2017
- Summary: LOME, TOGO (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF TOGOLESE ARTIST GUSTAVE AKPEHOU DJONDA SHOWING STUDENTS HIS EXHIBITION VARIOUS OF DJONDA TALKING TO STUDENTS STUDENTS MORE OF DJONDA TALKING TO STUDENTS STUDENTS LOOKING ON (SOUNDBITE) (French) ARTIST GUSTAVE, AKPEHOU DJONDA SAYING: "I asked myself, what is this new way of campaigning, and the negativity that went along with it, and then all of a sudden, there was a winner. I also have been asking myself, who is this person, what will he change? What will he really accomplish, so these are the same questions that I have been asking myself, which we shouldn't be asking but when you have a major country like the U.S., you have to ask a lot of questions." VARIOUS OF DJONDA WORKING IN HIS STUDIO, CARVING WOOD VARIOUS OF DJONDA PUTTING VARNISH ON WOOD (SOUNDBITE) (French) ARTIST GUSTAVE, AKPEHOU DJONDA SAYING: "I look at this political event as political change. There are only two solutions to this Donald Trump phenomenon and him becoming the president of the U.S. We will have to adapt to this man and the other thing is to find ways to mitigate the negative rhetoric of his political reforms, for the sake of the American people and of the rest of the world." VARIOUS OF DJONDA PUTTING HIS ARTWORK TO DRY AFTER PUTTING VARNISH ON IT (SOUNDBITE) (French) ARTIST GUSTAVE, AKPEHOU DJONDA SAYING: "I don't think that artists operate outside of society or of current affairs. Today, it's normal for artists to tackle some of the issues that we face and be able to contribute something to society. That is our approach to these issues. We are not just here to inspire people to dream or make people happy, we also provide social commentary on what's going on in society or politics from all over the world." VARIOUS OF STUDENTS AT EXHIBITION DJONDA ART WORKS ON DISPLAY DJONDA TALKING TO STUDENTS ABOUT HIS ARTWORK
- Embargoed: 2nd February 2017 16:45
- Keywords: Art sculptor Photography Donald Trump Politics Togo
- Location: LOME, TOGO
- City: LOME, TOGO
- Country: Togo
- Topics: Art,Arts/Culture/Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA0015ZQXGLZ
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Togolese painter, sculptor and photographer Gustave Akpehou Djonda shows a group of students his latest work displayed in the gardens of the French Institute in Lome.
Titled, "Like a fish in water", Djonda collection is made of 13 huge wooden sculptures.
All the works stand at over 1.50 meters and used to discuss different themes, including sustainable development, maritime environment and immigration.
But one piece in the collection grabs the visitors' attention.
It is a wooden fish with the American flag painted on it and has question marks in place of some of the stars that represent the country's 50 states.
The US presidential elections, pitted Democratic candidate Hilary Clinton against Republican Donald Trump and made headlines mainly for its divisive rhetoric and often times the disparaging remarks Trump made against women and other minority groups.
Djonda says that as an artist, he felt compelled to talk about the election and the far reaching effects it has had on the rest of world.
"I asked myself; what is this new way of campaigning, and the negativity that went along with it, and then all of a sudden, there was a winner. I also have been asking myself, who is this person, what will he change? What will he really accomplish, so these are the same questions that I have been asking myself, which we shouldn't be asking but when you have a major country like the US, you have to ask a lot of questions," he said.
Djonda also added that he wanted to question why many Africans were more interested in US politics than in the issues that face them at home.
"I look at this political event as political change. There are only two solutions to this Donald Trump phenomenon and him becoming the president of the U.S. We will have to adapt to this man and the other thing is to find ways to mitigate the negative rhetoric of his political reforms, for the sake of the American people and of the rest of the world," he said.
The 40-year-old Djonda says his work is inspired by current affairs and he spends a lot of time reading or watching television to draw inspiration.
Some art critics have lauded Djonda's art, calling him a young African revolutionary for his interpretation of events.
"I don't think that artists operate outside of society or of current affairs. Today, it's normal for artists to tackle some of the issues that we face and be able to contribute something to society. That is our approach to these issues. We are not just here to inspire people to dream or make people happy, we also provide social commentary on what's going on in society or politics from all over the world," he added.
Djonda is preparing to showcase his collection in Europe and Asia later in the year. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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