Interview: A New Dialogue with Ajarb Bernard Ategwa

In his first solo show in continental Europe, ‘The New Dialogue’, Cameroonian artist Ajarb Bernard Ategwa establishes himself as one of the most promising emerging portraitists; however, his portraits are not of individuals, but rather communities. With the vibrancy and dynamism of a bustling city, the saturated colors and sinuous lines in Ategwa’s canvases celebrate his ad- opted hometown, Douala, a center cultural confluences and exchanges. Amidst all of this energy, viewers feel like neighbors. They find comfort in the lower bands of Ategwa’s paintings and the familiarity and leisure within his narrative tableaus. The artist spoke with Berlin Art Link about his studio practice, the inspiration he draws from urban life, and the dialogues he hopes to catalyze with his debut solo show at Peres Projects.