William Adjété Wilson
Procession, Vodoons series, 2012-2015.
About VODOONS series 2012-2014
Under this section you will be able to preview samples of my newest creations before the upcoming exhibitions.
These pieces belong to the VODOONS series.
The Voodoo religion probably started with the Yorouba, a powerful people who lived mostly in what is today Nigeria, but its influence spread all around West Africa.
Vodoons are intermediaries between the two primal Gods, Lissa, the male principle, and Mahu, the female one.
This divine couple sits beyond the reach of human understanding; therefore, Vodoons act as go-between for people and Gods as well. They possess the gift of shape shifting and they are able to transform themselves at will to help protect the social and private life of the community. (In the FON language the concept of Vodoon also means “the act of creating”.)
With this new series, I set out to explore the notion of shape shifting, using it as a “shape factory” to express intriguing ideas, feelings and desires.
To continue my research on fabric in the wake of my recent series Black Ocean, I use Wax cotton, so called African Wax even though it has been woven in Europe (Holland and the United Kingdom) since the mid XIX century. It has nevertheless become a symbol of “African colors”.
There is no religious element in my work, only an attempt to express my view of the ubiquitous mystery: where are we from, and where shall we be after our brief spark of existence?
Collages: fabric on traditional rag paper, approximately 90x68cm.
About the artist:
William Adjété WILSON is based in Paris (France) and is currently working in Benin, Togo and Haïti.
He was born in France from a french mother and a father from the Guin-Mina people living on the coast of Togo-Bénin.
He grew up in Orléans and reached university in Paris at 19 to study philosophy and anthropology .
At 18 he had his first travel in the Gulf of Guinea and he began, step by step, to discover the history of his african families on the west coast of Africa from Ghana to Nigeria, especially the Wilson-Bahun-Lawson families from Aneho (Togo) from on side and to the so-called ” Brasilian” or Agouda , the d’Almeida- da Silva families from Ouidah (Benin).
He began art, as a self-taught artist. First show in 1979.
Since 1983 he has held many shows in Europe and the US.
In 1986 he got the « Prix de la Villa Hors les murs » a grant to spend one year in New-York and California.
WW is using many different medias. Pastels, paintings, sculpturs and assemblages, drawings and collages, photographs and videos, prints and illustrations.
In the 80’ and 90’, WW had many collaboration with other artists and created costums and sets for musical-videos, modern choregraphies, artists books as well as textils pattern, design, wall paintings etc.
As an illustrator, he had work with the New-Yorker in the US, Liberation, Telerama etc. in France , and for many publishers.
He also created 13 books for young public, and he holds occasionally workshops and lectures.
(texts website WW)