
Bara Sketchbook
Cameroon • 1993
Presentation
The singularity of Bara Sketchbook’s work lies in his Nigerian and Sierra Leonean heritage which he
tries to incorporate each time in his portraits as he explores the inwards and outwards feelings of his
subjects. Inspired by his own personal life, memories and stories that marked him, Bara Sketchbook’s
vivid paintings lean on thoughts, flaws, beauty and everything in between.
In the artist’s synesthetic mind, each emotion or state of being is attached to a precise color.
With his
meticulous brush, he revives beauty and the resilience in his subjects struck by vulnerability, pain and
love. Through their fabrics and their poses, Bara Sketchbook attempts to capture the intricacies of his
people. Their skin tones are often portrayed in two hues, either blue or purple, whereby the first hue
depicts what we as a people have been through including our past achievements, and the latter hue is
used to reveal the rich heritage of his people’s past as well as the beauty that the future holds for
them.
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Who is the artist?
The singularity of Bara Sketchbook’s work lies in his Nigerian and Sierra Leonean heritage which hetries to incorporate each time in his portraits as he explores the inwards and outwards feelings of hissubjects. Inspired by his own personal life, memories and stories that marked him, Bara Sketchbook’svivid paintings lean on thoughts, flaws, beauty and everything in between.In the artist’s synesthetic mind, each emotion or state of being is attached to a precise color.
With hismeticulous brush, he revives beauty and the resilience in his subjects struck by vulnerability, pain andlove. Through their fabrics and their poses, Bara Sketchbook attempts to capture the intricacies of hispeople. Their skin tones are often portrayed in two hues, either blue or purple, whereby the first huedepicts what we as a people have been through including our past achievements, and the latter hue isused to reveal the rich heritage of his people’s past as well as the beauty that the future holds forthem.
What are his 3 main works?
When was Bara Sketchbook born?