Asisebenze hosts French artist on 10-day residency
February 08, 2025 12:00 AM - February 19, 2025 11:00 PM
28 plein street
Asisebenze Art Atelier is thrilled to announce the 10-day residency of renowned painter, researcher, and Doctor in Art Sciences, Jean-Claude Desmerges, before heading to the Cape Town Art Fair.
This immersive residency promises to be a profound artistic exchange, blending the artist’s passion for African culture with Asisebenze’s mission to foster creative collaboration and storytelling.
A residency of art and culture
For the past six years, Desmerges has dedicated his life and practice to exploring the cultural landscapes of Africa. From the fishermen of Saint-Louis in Senegal to the traditional rites of Casamance, he has immersed himself in the everyday lives of the people, capturing their essence with raw authenticity.
His signature portraits, crafted with unconventional materials like kitchen charcoal or cement bags, reflect the meeting point between realism and spirituality, form and feeling.
Jean-Claude Desmerges' artistic journey
At Asisebenze, Desmerges will continue his tradition of what he calls "art as a state of encounters". His work stems from deeply rooting himself in the context of his subjects – observing their environments, understanding their stories, and channeling their spirit into his art.
It is this deeply relational process that makes his art not just visual but visceral, evoking the depth and vibrancy of African cultures while challenging the hierarchies of the traditional art world.
10 days of creative exchange
The residency will offer a unique opportunity for collaboration between Desmerges and local South African artists. Asisebenze’s space, with its ethos of co-creation and shared narratives, will serve as the perfect backdrop for this exchange.
Desmerges will also engage with Asisebenze's community of artists, sharing his research on contextual art and his philosophy of "producing true sensations”.
Turning materials into masterpieces
One of Desmerges’ most fascinating qualities is his ability to draw from his surroundings in ways that transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. Whether painting on cement bags, exploring the textures of a wall, or sketching with kitchen charcoal, his work is a celebration of resourcefulness and connection to the land.
His portraits are more than representations; they are living, breathing testaments to the people he encounters. The faces he paints tell stories of resilience, tradition, and the spiritual undercurrents that run through African life.
This residency at Asisebenze will not only enrich his body of work but also highlight the diversity of African cultures through his unique lens. 
