Dominique Zinkpè

Dominique Zinkpè is a self-taught Beninese artist, whose multidisciplinary approach defies conventional creative constraints. Born in 1969 in Cotonou, his work is informed by the rich historical and cultural traditions of his native Benin.

Drawing inspiration from diverse cosmologies and driven by universal themes, Zinkpè's works constructs a new iconographic imaginary. Rooted in his culture and proximity to Voodoo, his creations embody a magical realm, straddling the delicate balance between human and animal, the tangible and the ethereal.

His large-scale sculptural assemblages comprise hundreds of individually carved wooden statuettes recalling the Yoruba tradition of Ibéji dolls. When a twin dies in infancy, these figurines are believed by family members to embody the deceased’s spiritual energy.

Zinkpè studied at the Centre Culturel Français in Cotonou, and won the Young African Talent Prize at the 1993 Grapholies Art Festival in Abidjan, Ivory Coast. The turning point came during a fortuitous meeting with pioneering Ivorian sculptor Christian Lattier, which awakened in him a desire to develop his own personal language.

Using his particular worldview to comment on larger socio-economic ills, Zinkpè’s installations serve as potent social satire on global injustices. His works confront the harsh realities of the African continent, denouncing poverty and social injustices, and emphasising the need for flux, exchange, and migration in the face of economic stagnation.

Zinkpè has held four solos to date: Minuit (2023) at Septieme Gallery in Paris; A Master at Play (2022) at ILÉ Worldwide in Amsterdam; Etats D’âme (2021) at LouiSimone Guirandou Gallery in Abidjan; and Comédie Humaine (2019) at Dyman Gallery in Stellenbosch.

His works have been showcased at the Havana Biennial and Dak’art (where he was awarded the West African Economic and Monetary Union Prize in 2002), and included in group exhibitions at Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town, Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Kunsthalle Wien in Vienna and Museum fur Moderne Kunst (MMK) in Frankfurt. His work can be found in prestigious public and private collections, including the Zinsou Foundation (Benin), Blachère Foundation (France), Zeitz MOCAA (South Africa) and Sindika Dokolo Collection (Angola).

Fair presentations include 1-54 in London, Marrakech and New York; Art X Lagos; AKAA; Prizm Art Fair; Untitled Art and Expo Chicago – the latter two with Southern Guild. Zinkpè was a finalist in the 2023 LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize, for which his artwork, The Watchers, received a special mention.

Beyond his own practice, Zinkpè has spearheaded educational initiatives to share knowledge and promote the work of contemporary artists in Benin. He organised the first Benin Biennial in 2010, founded the Boulev’art street art event and opened an experimental art space, Unik, in the city of Abomey.

His workshop in Cotonou is a hub of collaboration and skills exchange where up to 20 other artisans and artists gather to work. Furthermore, he has been a strong advocate for the restitution of African material culture, focusing on the repatriation of the renowned Benin Bronzes looted by the British Military from Benin City.