BLAISE VERNYUY

BIOGRAPHY

Blaise Vernyuy is a talented artist from Cameroon (Africa), born in 1993 in the village of Kumbo. From a young age, drawing and creating toys became a favourite pastime for him, and he continued to hone his skills through his education. After secondary and high school education with a science focus, he became a mathematics teacher and studied under Brazilian arts professor Paulo Lemos for four years. He went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in visual arts/arts history, graduating as the overall best of his university. 

Blaise has a unique artistic style, using acrylic on canvas to create Afro Abstract Figurative paintings and his works are known for incorporating masks, symbolic elements from African culture, geometric patterns, figurines, lines, colors, and textures to tell stories about the world and its people. Recently, he has been using his art to advocate for social, political, and environmental causes, and his works often depict the energy of protests and carry messages from world leaders, famous people, protest movements, and more.

Blaise’s work has been influenced by famous artists such as Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrian, and Gustav Klimt, and his style combines the energy of African art with his own originality. Through his paintings, Blaise examines themes such as climate change, the environment, social and political issues, race, migration, gender, religion, war, and terrorism, and places human beings at the center of all these issues. He hopes that his works will remain a reminder to leaders of their commitments and a reminder to people that they must commit both in words and in action to make the world a better place.

Blaise has been showcasing his works in a number of exhibitions, both locally and internationally. He has taken part in several group exhibitions, where his works have received critical acclaim and been appreciated by art enthusiasts. He has also held several solo exhibitions, showcasing his latest creations and exploring various themes through his paintings.

One of his most notable exhibitions was the “Voices of the Street” exhibition, held in Limbe in 2022. This was a solo show where Blaise showcased his latest works, which explored the themes of protest, advocacy, and activism. Blaise has also taken part in several international exhibitions, showcasing his works to a global audience. These exhibitions have given him the opportunity to reach out to people from different cultures and backgrounds, and to share his message of hope and advocacy through his art.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My artistic practice involves the creation of colourful mosaic like Acrylic paintings on canvas. The images I paint explore relationships between us as humans interacting as constituted groups or as individuals. Also I examine our relationship with the environment (the earth) as our home and dueling place. Noticing that these relationships are not always ideal and that consequences arise when we act inappropriately, I chose to critic when it goes wrong , encourage when it goes right, point to where it needs fixing and above all push for right policies and laws where need might be on these canvases. My work has been influenced by masters from Art history like Pablo Picasso, Piet Mondrian and Gustav Klimt. Coming from an African background, there is a strong Energy of African art and Individualistic originality in my work. Every canvas of mine carries a colourful mosaic like image that capturesthe energy of a protest.I had been moved by the potential of a protest to cause change and to move leaders to make the right policies and laws. I then decided, if this is the peak of people power, this is the medium with which I will convey not only my thoughts but the thoughts of others on the issues of mankind and our planet. Every canvas carries a protest with characters painted in an original style immersed in a colourful mosaic like background animated by geometric signs that capture the energy filled atmosphere of a protest. Sometimes these geometric signs work together to create masks that

represent the spirit of ancestry, ever present, supporting the push for a better world. Each character on the canvas plays the role of a protester in action carrying written text on the theme under examination. These texts range from protest Slogans, phrases, quotes from world leaders and famous people, statistics, places involved in the problem under examination, Appreciation to organizations and more. These characters eternally carry these texts brandishing them to the viewer as if to say “this is what we believe in and so should you if you want to make the world a better place”.

With this kind of image, I examine themes on Climate Change and Global warming, Environment, Sociopolitical themes, Economy, Race, Migration and Refugee crises, Gender, Religion, war, terrorism, commentary on current events and more. Placing human beings at the center of all these themes and understanding that it is how we relate and act towards each other as individuals or as constituted groups and how we relate and act towards the environment that the global problems mankind faces arise. My arts is therefore created as a potent weapon that brings these issues to our collective consciousness and forces policy makers and law makers to make the right decisions so as to ensure that the planet becomes an ideal and safe place that supports human life where in this generation and generations to come will continue to exist in peace and harmony living in progressive societies and in an environment that is void of man made disasters.

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

• Pencil drawing. Group exhibition (Bamenda 2015)
• Conserving our culture. Solo exhibition (Institute de Francaise Yaounde 2017)
• Mboko Arts village. Group exhibition (Douala 2019)
• Annual Art shows/markets (American Embassy/American school)
• Afrocentric Happiness. Solo exhibition (Canadian Residence 2021)
• Group show “Last picture show Douala” ( 2021)
• Solo Exhibition Canadian Residence ( 2022)
• Group show “Last picture show Douala ( 2022)
• Got artist Representation at Alexis Gallery – Victoria Island Lagos and contributed work for Group exhibition (2022)
• Contributed works to Artx Lagos through Alexis Gallery ( 2022)
• La vie dans l’art: Life in Art at Arakan Art Gallery, Myanmar, Asia (2022)
• Open Windows Art Exhibition at The Collector Art Gallery curated by Arakan Art Gallery, Yangon, Myanmar, Asia (2022)
• Duo Show at Alexis Gallery (2023).

More about Blaise:

https://businessday.ng/arts-and-life/article/connecting-africa-a-creative-rivalry-among-african-artists-at-alexis-galleries/

Learn about the Situation of Art and Artists in Cameroon from Blaise Afrique