Fernando Nguema’s sculptures in wood occupy the exhibition halls of Casa África this autumn

The sculptor Fernando Nguema of Equatorial Guinea looked for roots in the forest, carried them to his workshop, barely retouched them and turned them into works of art with an incredible expressive force. Self-taught, determined not to be contaminated by external influences and a fierce guardian of the Fang tradition, he died in 2008 without his work ever being valued or sought after. Most of his pieces were acquired by his closest circle of friends. They are primarily those who have loaned pieces for Fernando Nguema Incomplete Works 1992 - 2008, the exhibition which opens today, at 8pm in Casa África. This is the first retrospective of the work of Nguema and it will occupy the Kilimanjaro and Equatorial Guinea halls of the institution with 34 sculptures until 5 January. It has the support of the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation for Development (AECID) and the Fundación Martínez Hermanos (“Martínez Brothers Foundation”). Most of the pieces come from the AECID collection and the show is completed by pieces from private collections in Spain and Equatorial Guinea.

The current exhibition in Casa África covers virtually the entire artistic life of Nguema, from leaving Luba in 1991 until his death in Malabo in 2008, and aims to honour this unclassifiable sculptor, barely known within his country and much less outside.

“He was a very, very singular guy, like his work” which “you can either like or dislike, but it doesn’t leave you indifferent”, said Kike León, coordinator of the AECID’s Network of Cultural Centres, during the presentation of the exhibition to the media.