Opening: 6. March, 7 p.m.

The works of Minouvo Samuel Zonon are characterised by their stylistic diversity. This stems from the various influences that the artist incorporates: as the son of a Beninese father and a German mother, he has been shaped by two distinct cultures, each with its own worldview and mindset. On the other hand, Zonon incorporates his experiences from graffiti and his studies in transformation design into his painting. This involves conceiving the creative process as part of cyclical processes.

The works in the exhibition WELT~ KOSMOS, created specifically for Heidenheim, were developed in response to the museum’s Picasso collection. Taking the painter and his portrait as his starting point, Zonon developed his own visual universe, which draws on aspects of Picasso’s work in terms of both form and content, whilst placing them in a new context.

Specifically, the painter, who lives in Steinheim, is concerned with the Anima Mundi, the world soul. This refers to the philosophical concept of a living natural world in which everything is interconnected and shares a common spirit.

To express this conviction visually, Zonon always employs Cubist techniques, through which pictorial motifs are interwoven. In his more recent works, he thins the paint to such an extent that it takes on a watercolour-like quality. The way the colours flow into one another thus symbolises the connections between humans, nature and animals, as well as constant change.

Amidst these flowing spheres of colour are depictions of pregnant women. The artist drew inspiration for these both from the birth of his own son and from Ice Age Venus figurines found near his current home in the Swabian Alb. For the artist, they symbolise a productive (human) primal force as well as the wonders of life.
The figure of Venus also serves as a bridge between West African animism and German culture.

About the artist
Minouvo Samuel Zonon (born in 1990 in Filderstadt, lives in Steinheim am Albuch, works in Heidenheim) obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Design from the Pforzheim University of Design. He subsequently studied for a Master’s degree in Transformation Design at the Braunschweig University of Art. In this context, the design process goes beyond the traditional product design process, conceiving of the design process as part of cycles.
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As well as design, he devoted himself to graffiti, painting and drawing, which is why, after completing his Master’s degree, he spent a year as a master student under Olav Christopher Jenssen at the Braunschweig University of Fine Arts.