“My style influences my art…I start with the form and start to make faces, masks first, put colors in them…now my paintings have lots of details of fashion because it represents me a lot. I love fashion, I love to dress, I love color, I love clothing with details on it…” - HALSTED BERNING
documented. As an African painter, he wants to be noted as being part of African art history without being boxed into an identity cage. He wants to preserve his legacy by establishing an art foundation in Cameroon, his country of origin. With the future as his canvas, Enfant Précoce will keep telling colorful stories and sharing bold perspectives. ARDMORE-DESIGN.COM
his thoughts and philosophy on canvas, he encourages people to interpret his paintings, forming their own thoughts and viewing the highlighted issues from their own perspectives. He understands that, sometimes, people do not need lessons and do not need to be taught. They just need to be able to see, think about, and value the art. With this, Enfant Précoce creates art that is easy for everyone to digest, interpret, and appreciate. Using his exhibition, Oasis d’Abondance, Enfant Précoce shares his thoughts on the resilience of immigrants and their descendants while inviting us to share our own perspectives. A fashion aficionado who has always dreamed of owning a clothing line, Enfant Précoce has collaborated with Ugg and Adidas in the past and maintains his fashion interests while growing as a painter. As an African dancer and artist, he wants to show what his art brings to the table and ensure his legacy for generations. He believes that his paintings are as carefree as kids: playful, without borders, and without inhibitions. While his art may tackle serious themes, he maintains that inherent innocence that has become unique to him via the skillful use of bright colors and cartoon-like characters. A wanderer at heart, Enfant Précoce wants to explore everything and everywhere, taking his vision with him. He understands the power of his surname Essoua (which means “fight”) and applies that to his work. Enfant Précoce wants to bring his art to everyone from Africa to the United States while collaborating with fashion brands like Louis Vuitton, Off- White, Gucci, BOTTER, and more. Most importantly, Enfant Précoce wants his contributions to the growth of art created by Africans to be properly
while his educated uncle worked a security job and his aunt worked as a cleaning lady. This rude awakening served as an introduction to the life lived by African immigrants in Europe. Enfant Précoce conceived Oasis d’Abondance in 2020, right at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic. Having witnessed and experienced the injustices Black immigrants faced in Paris, especially during this period, he decided to reflect on the situation to portray it through the childlike gaze that characterizes his art. An immigrant himself, Enfant Précoce has had firsthand experience with the struggles that come with finding your way in a foreign land. Adding the pandemic to the struggles immigrants already had to grapple with, it became clear that Paris was not as welcoming as people believed. t. Menial workers were unfairly hounded by authorities despite their contributions to the local economy, and life was tough for Black immigrants who did not have the necessary information and resources. Enfant Précoce maintains that his art is “political without protesting.” But while his art is not a protest, it makes a strong point. With this collection, Enfant Précoce skillfully emphasizes the situation surrounding him and the realities faced by Black immigrants in Paris. Enfant Précoce maintains his sensitivity to social issues and serves as a documenter for Black immigrants in Europe. Looking to the Future: A Legacy of Art and Style Ten years after starting to paint, Enfant Précoce still sees every painting as a new journey. Looking to the future, he has big dreams. While he does not see himself as a teacher, Précoce believes that, in putting
“I always wanted to make something to talk about that because I’m coming from Cameroon…and I didn’t know…because we had people telling us that France was a welcoming country, but when you’re living here, you witness many struggles of our people.” - HALSTED BERNING Sign Up
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