Boris Nzebo’s paintings reflect on the surroundings of his hometown Douala, Cameroon’s largest city. He uses a strong colour palette, evocative of the murals and graffiti found throughout the suburbs. With a nod towards kitsch, his works are instantly recognisable, with a visual vocabulary that would be familiar to Douala’s inhabitants. Nzebo’s stylised execution owes much to the painted haircut advertisements found outside Cameroon’s barbershops. Often very elaborate, his responsive portraits of traditional hairstyles are interspersed with informal snapshots of local neighbourhoods, urban architecture and scenes from daily life.

Solo exhibitions include Urban Style at Manchester Art Gallery, Manchester (2016). Selected group exhibitions include Pangaea: New Art from Africa and Latin America (2014) and Pangaea II: New Art from Africa and Latin America (2015), Saatchi Gallery, London.