FRANCIS AKPATA

With my paintings, I try to superimpose rhythm and harmony while achieving a fine balance between the figurative and the abstract. I never start with a preconceived final image in mind. To do this, I have to combine austere rigour with unbridled fantasy.

I believe contemplation facilitates revelation. Through contemplation and observation, one can grasp the essence of nature and depict that rhythmically. I aim to replicate the osmosis of nature in painting.

I want my paintings to be like an optical dialogue, each patch of colour is part of a dialectic process where each surface is trying to establish itself. In my paintings, there is a conflict between luminosity and density, a struggle between quantity and quality, and a tension between gravity and lightness.

I aim to find a rhythmic balance between the forces at play.