Dive into the world of African tales and beliefs with Yannis Davy Guibinga’s “Children of Distant Suns” exhibition

In an immersive artistic presentation, Yannis Davy Guibinga unveils a body of previously unseen photographic work, immersing the art space in a captivating poetic imagination. Through “Children of Distant Suns“, the photographic artist presents his first solo exhibition in the UK, offering an enjoyable and rewarding experience of discovering African myths until March 23 at Doyle Wham. This exhibition is an opportunity for British art lovers to explore contemporary art from the African continent through Yannis Davy Guibinga‘s striking narrative practice.

Yannis Davy Guibinga is a celebrated Gabonese photographer based in Montreal, renowned for his exceptional achievements in visual storytelling. His passionate commitment is reflected in the materiality of his art, where he strives to retranscribe the ancient narratives of the dark continent. Illustrating the plurality of identities and histories in perpetual coexistence, he explores and reinvents the continent’s mythologies, focusing primarily on those of Central and West Africa.

Through “Children of Distant Suns“, Yannis Davy Guibinga presents British audiences with a selection of stories that extend his artistic approach. His creations, inspired by folklore and enriched by mythological tales, create a universe where the imaginary reigns supreme. The island of Shira becomes the place where these heterogeneous legends coexist alongside biblical tales, demonstrating the universality and relevance of myths beyond their geographical and cultural origins.

In “Children of Distant Suns”, Yannis Davy Guibinga pays tribute to the cultural wealth of water spirits throughout West Africa with two new series: OLOKUN and Daughter of the lake. These works reinterpret, respectively, the Yoruba divinity Olokun and the mermaid goddess Mami Wata. Borrowing from them a more flattering and distinctly more artistic visual, the artist highlights their extensible identities through a hyper-contemporary lens and proposes a fresh vision, thus contributing to the modern preservation of these essential cultural elements.

Also exploring Christian themes with the Melting Daylight and Tangled Sins series, Yannis Davy Guibinga offers new works with striking visuals that reinvent Christian iconography. While Melting Daylight addresses the importance of the sun and its setting in belief systems, for example as proof of the natural magnificence of God‘s creation, Tangled Sins explores the biblical symbolism of the serpent for a pertinent and enriching analysis of the link between humanity and vices. In a metaphorical approach, the serpent’s sinuous twists reflect a complex and continuous dance between desire and restraint, seduction and resistance, which has inspired so many founding myths across religions and cultures.

Throughout the “Children of Distant Suns” exhibition, Yannis Davy Guibinga invites visitors to reflect on the relationship between myths and divinities. His art encourages us to reconsider the commonalities between our stories and beliefs, highlighting their influence as a source of morality, inspiration and aspiration. This reflection on founding stories and the need for a new visual vocabulary underlines the artist’s commitment to inclusive, unconstrained world-building.