Kalao Panafrican Creations CHOCOLAT, street M, line 22, nº 2 Cheikhou Ba (Senegal) A tribute exhibition to the first black artist on French stage: famous Rafael Clown Chocolat, Cuban slave (Havana 1868 Bordeaux 1917) who found liberty in the docks of Bilbao working as a miner until 1880. The second individual exhibition of the works by senegalese artist Cheikhou Ba, held in Kalao in memory of Rafael Chocolat, one of the leading circus artists in Paris in the late 19th and early 20th century. After being bought in Havana by a Portugese merchant, eightyear old Rafael arrived in Bizcay to work on a farm. At the age of twelve he fled the farm and arrived at Bilbao s docks where he lived poorly working as a miner until about 1885 when he bumped into Tony Grice, an English clown, who was performing in the city at the time. He offered Rafael assistant job, and after the debut in our city, they set off together to London around 1885. The year after they got to Paris where, after being hired by Le Nouveau-Cirque, they split up; Rafael achieved his first big role in La Noce de Chocolat. Not long after he met another English clown Fottit, with whom he formed the most famous comic duet in the Belle Epoque, an authoritarian white clown and foolish black clown who receives punches. Their success lasted for 20 years until 1910 when, after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the show was cancelled and Rafael fell into oblivion. He died in 1917 in Bordeaux. He was buried in a pauper s grave (street M, line 22, nº 2) together with his memory.* Kalao would like to pay him tribute and for this purpose, apart from the exhibition in the showroom, Chocolat will come to life and visit us during the event. * Biographical investigation, together with the interpretation of the causes of the raise and fall of Chocolat in Paris, was carried out by the French historian Gerard Noiriel. The study was published in his work: Chocolat, clown nègre (Bayard éditions 2012).
CHEIKHOU BA Dakar, Senegal, 1971 One of the most multifaceted creators emerged from National School of Fine Arts in Dakar (2000). Sculptor and painter, installation art became one of the fundamental forms of his artistic expression. He finished his education at the University of Geneva, Switzerland. Over the last 10 years he has worked both in Geneva and Laussane. His creations interpret the most basic in item s appearance, it s essential subjective form. It reaveals the tragic state in human experience: solitude in the face of freedom, death, struggle of will, failure, warmth of friendship and the family as a meaningful space to repose, but also as a nidus of conflicts. The dramatic burden of his works is emphasized by Cheikhou through the use of vivid chromatic contrasts subjected to shapes and volumes refined to their basic expression. Many of his works are made from recovered materials such as plastic, cardboard, wire, lumber etc. which he transforms with warmth. For this occasion the artist has created a collection of canvas in which he recreates a harsh, bipolar universe of success and tragedy from enjoyable and cheerful colours. This extreme ambivalency tagged along Rafael Chocolat s life. Solo exhibitions (selection): 2015. Chocolat, street M, line 22, nº 2, Kalao gallery, Bilbao, España. 2013. Les contradiction de la vie, The Mojo gallery, Dubai, Emiratos Arabes. 2011. Where are we going...?, galeria Kalao, Bilbao. 2010. Rétrospective et perspective, 37 rue Jules Ferry, Dakar, Senegal. 2009. Identité, Galerie Atiss. Dakar. 2007. Galerie du Château, Lausanne, Suiza. Kultturikauppila, Ii, Finlandia. 2005. Espace d Art Contemporain Rurart, Poitou-Charentes, Francia. 2004. Weernadé, Studio Ebéris (Dak Art Off), Dakar, Sénégal. 2003. Galerie Arte, Dakar, Sénégal. Group exhibitions (selection): 2011. Galería Kalao, Bilbao, España. Head, Ginebra, Suiza. A generation provoked, Mojo Gallery, Dubai, Emiratos Árabes. 2009. Oude Kerk, Amsterdam. Holanda. All Barnsley Diversity Festival, South Yorkshire. GB. Animal, anima, Fundación Jean Paul Blachère. Apt, Francia. Europ Art 09. Ginebra, Suiza. 2008. Paraplufabrik, Nijmeren, Pays-Bas. Eiffage (Dak Art Off), Dakar, Sénégal. 2006. International Sculpture Symposium, Changchun, China. Sénégal contemporain, Musée Dapper, París, Francia. 2005. Beneen Bët (Otra Mirada), Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Canarias, España. De l eau pour tous, Ottawa, Canada 2001. Jeux de la Francophonie, Ottawa, Canada. 1999. Museo de l FAN, Dakar.
1. Je suis vivant et je joue, mixed media on canvas, 92x73 cm, 2014.
2. Blow it up, mixed media on canvas, 92x73 cm, 2014.
3. Peace, talk about justice first, mixed media on canvas, 92x73 cm, 2014.
4. Devil in a clean dress, mixed media on canvas, 92x73 cm, 2014. SOLD
5. And Dreams will come true, mixed media on canvas, 92x73 cm, 2014.
6. Change my color and everything changes, mixed media on canvas, 92x73 cm, 2014.
7. I'm not from here, I'm from everywhere, mixed media on canvas, 92x73 cm, 2014.
8. 43 rue Saint - Sernins, mixed media on canvas, 92x73 cm, 2014.
9. Highway to Heaven, mixed media on canvas, 200x150 cm, 2013.
10. Chocolat is not my name, mixed media on canvas, 92x73 cm, 2014.
11. Self made, mixed media on canvas, 92x73 cm, 2014.
Jesús Ahedo