Yvanovitch Mbaya
Lives & Works in Casablanca, Morocco
Yvanovitch Mbaya’s productions are enriched by his travels, near and far, and his experiences as the Other. Through a multidisciplinary practice of drawing, video, installation, and performance, Mbaya works in the manner of a sociologist, studying the social and cultural behaviors of those he encounters in different environments. Depicting scenes from memory, the anonymous figures in Mbaya’s drawings are unified within a universal human experience. His earthy materials, coffee, charcoal, indigo, ground them with a common essence. These materials, sourced from several African nations, are also linked to place, culture, and history.
Mbaya graduated from the National School of Fine Arts in Brazzaville where he was a student of the acclaimed Congolese artist, writer, and set designer Bill Kouélany. His works have been exhibited widely in Africa, including his recent solo show at CDA Gallery in Casablanca, as well as in France, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.
Yvanovitch Mbaya will be presented by CDA Gallery and Galerie 208.
Yvanovitch Mbaya, Dialogue of Bodies, 2022, Coffee, Indian ink, charcoal powder and ink pen on Arches paper, 42 x 29.7 cm. Courtesy of Galerie 208;
