Dominique Zinkpè and Southern Guild present ‘Ejire (Double Rhyme)’, a solo exhibition of intricately carved wooden sculptures opening on the 19th of February 2025. This will mark Zinkpè’s first exhibition with Southern Guild and will feature a number of large-scale, architectural sculptures and wall reliefs. Their expansive forms are assembled from hundreds of carved Ibeji figurines, materialising the dualism and inter-connection between the self and society.
Describing his artistic practice as a form of priesthood, Zinkpè seeks to preserve and animate the Vodun spiritual beliefs at the heart of traditional Yoruba culture. According to Yoruba belief, the orisha (deity) of Ibeji carries the powers of fertility and prosperity, and is embodied in the human form of twins. In the traditional cultures of Benin, Nigeria, Togo and Ghana, twins are considered special beings whose birth portends great blessings. They are believed to share the same soul, which is why the Yoruba people also refer to twins as “ejire”, meaning ‘double rhyme’ or to be more exact, ‘two persons that rhyme with each other’, ‘two persons that are the same’. Frequently eulogised in song and poetry, and given special family and community privileges. When one dies, a figurine is carved to house the deceased twin’s spirit, to memorialise and venerate them through various rituals and ceremonies.
165.1 x 152.09 x 35.89 cm, Image courtesy of Southern Guild.
Zinkpè’s fascination with Ibeji sculptures stems from the fact that each one is sculpted individually, celebrating the unique essence of human beings and their distinct DNA. His assemblage works pivot on the interrelation between the singular and the collective through the repetitive use of form. He works with master carvers from different regions of Benin to create the statuettes, their distinctive styles reflected in subtle shifts in the figures’ scale, stance, facial details and head adornments. Gathered together in row upon row, the tiny figures begin to meld into one another, their facets and interstices creating a mesmerising, cohesive rhythm. Their magnetism derives from their multiplicity, a visual metaphor for the power inherent in communal action.
Zinkpè expands his figurine armies into abstract configurations whose organic, asymmetrical forms sit in contrast to the statuettes’ linearity. Some of the standing sculptures are throne-like – commanding and magisterial; others resemble elegantly attenuated shafts. The works’ enveloping volumes and subtle curves feel like otherworldly beings in the process of becoming as they ripple and sway. Attached to the wall, the relief works resemble structural edifices built from dense clusters of dolls. Zinkpè brings sensitivity to the painted surface of each sculpture, applying subtle changes in colouration and gestural marks to add further delicacy and detail to the fragmented volumes.
194 x 160.02 x 24.13 cm, Image courtesy of Southern Guild.
With a wide-ranging practice that also encompasses painting, performance and installation, Zinkpè is driven by a desire to be a cultural witness or medium. Born in 1969 in Cotonou, Benin’s largest city, he was raised in a Catholic family in Abomey, the historic capital of the ancient kingdom of Dahomey and a centre of Vodun spiritual life. In the city’s many temples, markets and public squares, he was exposed to the religion’s rich ceremonial culture, which became a profound source of inspiration for him.
‘Ejire (Double Rhyme)’ is Zinkpè’s first exhibition with Southern Guild and his fifth solo to date. His works have been showcased at the Havana Biennial and Dak’art (where he was awarded the West African Economic and Monetary Union Prize in 2002). Also included in group exhibitions at Zeitz MOCAA in Cape Town, Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam, Kunsthalle Wien in Vienna and Museum fur Moderne Kunst (MMK) in Frankfurt.
160.02 x 55.88 x 26.04 cm, Image courtesy of Southern Guild.
Zinpkè was a finalist in the 2023 LOEWE Foundation Craft Prize, for which his artwork ‘The Watchers’ received a special mention. Beyond his own practice, Zinkpè has spearheaded educational initiatives to share knowledge and promote the work of contemporary artists in Benin. He organised the first Benin Biennial in 2010, founded the Boulev’art street art event and opened an experimental art space, Unik, in the city of Abomey.
The artist has been a strong advocate for the restitution of African material culture, focusing on the repatriation of the renowned Benin Bronzes looted by the British Military from Benin City. ‘Ejire (Double Rhyme)’ will be open until the 15th of May 2025 at Southern Guild Cape Town.
