Daniel Bamigbade (Benin) Mask

Sign: BAMIGBADE

The artwork is exhibited at Tumo Gallery, Užupio str. 28, Vilnius

DANIEL BAMIGBADE (Benin)

Daniel Bamigbade is a skilled craftsman, specializing in furniture finishing. Later, he became interested in metalworking. African sculpture art is an important part of Daniel Bamigbade's compositions. The symbolism of masks is deeply rooted in Benin cosmogony, where masks are equivalent to keys, unlocking ideas and representing wisdom.

Since 2007, the artist has dedicated himself to creating metal sculptures inspired by the rich cultural heritage of Africa. The choice of this direction was influenced by the deep traditions of metalworking from the Dahomey Kingdom and the famous Ife masks. Through his art, the artist aims to preserve these age-old traditions and believes that African art can serve as a source of inspiration and enrich the works of artists of various profiles and origins, just as it inspired the famous Pablo Picasso.

The majority of the sculptures are created by the artist from iron and other collected materials, such as plates, cup handles, broken mirrors, car parts, screws, and more. In the artist's view, the assembly of different objects into one artistic object signifies "unity," and the elevation of old, discarded, and useless objects provides "hope."