Roméo Mivekannin

Using white sheets as canvases, Roméo Mivekannin paints realistic portraits that celebrate the role of historic Black political leaders throughout the African continent. A descendent of Benin royalty, Mivekannin’s practice is additionally informed by his experiences growing up in France. Mivekannin trained as an architect but began painting in 2019 after seeing a landmark exhibition spotlighting the Black models portrayed in historic French masterpieces at the Musée d’Orsay. In his own portraits, he assumes the positions of Black sitters in reproductions of paintings by Manet and Géricault. Before piecing them together, Mivekannin soaks his sheets in herbal admixtures traditionally used in voodoo ceremonies, thus infusing his supports with a practice of ritual healing. The artist’s well-known series “Béhanzin” engages with his family history, depicting ancestors who fell from power as a result of colonizing forces. Mivekannin’s paintings reach across time and geography, revealing past traumas while suggesting transformation.