Franck Lundangi “L’homme spirituel”, 2016

At a time when Paris is the center of many African art exhibitions, the Jean Pigozzi collection at Fondation Louis Vuitton, « Nous et les autres » at Musée de l’Homme and shows a film on racism, « I am not your negro » written by James Baldwin and directed by Haitian film director Raoul Peck, Galerie Anne de Villepoix exhibits Franck Lundangi, an artist from Angola who has settled in France in 1990.

Franck Lundangi, To starve, 2008

« We met ten years ago and I liked his work but felt he was not quite ready for an International career » Anne de Villepoix tells Nicasia Pesle, the cultural attachée from the Angolan embassy. The artist paints beautiful strange people inhabited by many objects and animals. Born in 1958, he emigrated with his parents to Zaïre when the Civil war started in Angola and eventually became a football player. When he moved to France in the early 90’s and met his future wife Catherine, she introduced him to art and he started a second life.

Dinner was a fabulous mix of organic and beautiful food

When I first saw his paintings, they reminded me stlightly of Cuban vaudou paintings, the mix of animal heads and human bodies, the strong presence of flowers, fish and birds. Harmony between man and nature is one of his themes and he also writes poetry.

Michel Gouery, Nuage, enameled ceramic 2009

When I discussed with Nicasia, I learned that she had herself been educated in Cuba, after the Portuguese left Angola,  when exchanges between Angola, Russia and Castro led a generation of young Angolans students abroad. She then became an anthropologist and setteled in Paris. We did not have time to discuss Portuguese writer, Antonio Lobo Antunes’ novels about Angola but I learned that this very rich country of western Africa had diamonds and oil,  a strong artistic tradition and the richest lady in Africa. The official language is Portuguese.

Anne de Villepoix with Nicasia Pesle, from the Angolan Embassy

There are diamonds to be found in Franck Lundangi’s paintings, sculptures and totems. And Anne de Villepoix’s gallery is one of the exciting contemporary art spaces in the Marais. She has been roaming the African continent through a scout and shows many new faces in her very established 27 year old gallery. At the opening dinner, she served fabulous organic food and guests were a relaxed and trendy mix of collectors, architects and designers.

Franck Lundangi, Métamorphoses, 2013

After dinner, we were all encouraged to look behind the scene in the « reserve » where I saw lovely ceramic pieces by Michel Gouery. This artist has worked in Limoges and creates his own world with ceramics. What a fun way to spend an evening…(prices for Lundangi paintings range from 7 000€ to 9 500€, galerie Anne de Villepoix, 43 rue de Montmorency)