Born in 1988 in Porto-Novo, gifted in drawing since his early childhood, Marcel Kpoho - like many Beninese artists - is an emerging self-taught painter and sculptor. Though his first exhibition dates back to 2012, it was only in 2017 that he abandoned teaching of mathematics to fully engage in his artistic career.

Kpoho, from Fon descent, is equally close to the Vodoun religion as well as other spiritual traditions, like the Yoruba Ife religion, that flourish in Southern Benin. An ancient history, going back to the beginning of times, full of glorious kingdoms, bravery and heroism, but also home to the most atrocious violence and suffering, with the slave trade of the Kingdom of Dahomey as one of the darkest periods. Kpoho taps into this rich ancient history to create his own black universe populated by sculptures from recycled tyre slices. 

Kpoho’s choice to recycle the omnipresent non-biodegradable rubber tyres in African urban life, is not only a way to cycle up waste and create awareness of environmental issues, but also serves as a great metaphor for the dark, tough side of mankind which intrigues him and is part of the tough dual society he grew up in. 

Ranging from sculptures larger than life to wall sculptures, all have this raw, edgy, intriguing quality, confronting viewers with an almost harsh, masculine reflection of human identity. Kpoho's art fascinates and confronts, questioning the future of the planet and the future challenges of humanity to peaceful coexist in balance with nature.

In our collection, we present a series of his masks, some relating to his contemporary interpretation of indigenous deities or their creator, but sometimes just  symbolic means for man to protect or free himself from his dark, heavy self, using the mask for spiritual mediation to elevate and release the soul. 

Kpoho has participated in many solo and group exhibitions in Benin and beyond, amongst which Burkina Fasso, Togo, Senegal, Martinique, France, Zwitserland and the Netherlands, has been auctioned in Europe and is present in private collections across Africa and Europe. In 2021, he received the Francophonie prize from the Loire school in France.